Every Good Girl Needs A Bad Boy
by OnceUponAnOriginal
Summary: 'I promised him that I would always look after Kari if she needed me to, and I'll be damned if I let her come to any harm.' I DO NOT OWN DIGIMON, NOR DO I OWN THE COVER PIC FOR THIS STORY.
1. Chapter 1

Ok guys, I have to admit, this fic is a small test. I had a sudden urge to write last night, and working on my other story just wasn't doing it for me. Don't get me wrong, if you're currently reading _Til We Meet Again, _I haven't abandoned it, far from it. I just fancied doing something a little different last night. I wasn't sure what to do, and then I thought about pairings that don't seem too popular. And then Matt and Kari drifted into my head and I kinda fell in love with the idea a little bit. So I'm putting this first chapter up to see what you think. If it's not absolutely hated, then I'll carry on with it while continuing _Til We Meet Again._ Just a pointer, the references to the Digital World are purely memories. This fic will take place in the real world, and I'll try to stay true to the characters... with the exception of TK who is, to be quite frank, a little shit in this story. This is my first YamatoxHikari fic, so please be gentle. Flames are not necessary, constructive criticism will do just fine.

Disclaimer: I do not own Digimon (unfortunately), but the people who thought Sora and Matt would make a good couple did. The only character I own is Lacey... and any others I might randomly add if you'd like me to continue with this story.

Let me know what you think. Happy reading :)

* * *

**CHAPTER ONE**

_The heat. _Oh, the heat_. It was a scorching day in the Digital World, and nine year old Kari Kamiya felt weak and sore as she trudged along behind the older kids, followed by an equally fatigued TK. Their journey had been long and exhausting, their road bumpy and full of obstacles they'd needed to overcome, but their destination was clear. They were headed to a cave not far from Infinity Mountain, miles from the abandoned building that had doubled as their sleeping quarters for the past three weeks. All of the Chosen Children were tired and beginning to lose their motivation, but giving up was just not an option. Not when one of their own was in so much danger. Their Digimon were just as determined to save their friend as the Children, but the heat was affecting them also, especially the ones with fur, and they were more vocal about their misfortunes._

'_It's soooo hot,' moaned Tentomon, flying close to the ground in fear that he may fall in his fatigued state._

'_I think my roots have dried up. I'm so thirsty,' said Palmon as she dragged her arms behind her, desperately trying to soak up a drop of moisture from the dry, dusty ground._

'_You guys should think yourselves lucky. I'm carrying a permanent coat,' Gabumon pointed out wearily, pulling on his sweaty fur._

_Some weren't quite as self-focussed, worrying more about the health of the Digidestined. 'I wish we could digivolve so that you guys wouldn't have to walk,' said Biyomon sadly. 'But we don't have enough energy, and I'm pretty sure the last of it is about to burn out.'_

'_I have to say guys, I'm feeling fine,' chirped Patamon._

'_I'm not surprised,' Gatomon said hoarsely. 'You've been hitching a ride from TK since we left.'_

_The older kids had refused to allow Patamon to do much - since he was small and easily carried - instead telling him to save his energy, for they were in no doubt that it wouldn't be long until they needed the defence of a powerful Digimon such as Angemon._

'_You're just jealous,' the small orange Digimon replied, folding his bat-like wings and settling down into the top of his owner's hat for his second nap of the day. _

_The children and their partners somehow managed to laugh despite their circumstances, but Kari couldn't even force it. She just didn't have the energy. Besides, her worry had affected her in ways the others couldn't comprehend. She barely heard the quiet conversations being held between her friends; all she could think about was the consequence of not arriving at the cave in time, the fate of the Digital World in the hands of just seven Chosen Children – sure, they'd managed fine until she'd been revealed as the eighth child, but they just couldn't afford to lose one of their most valued members – not to mention the throbbing pain in her head. She knew that pain. It was a sign of things to come, and she had regrettably suffered the effects of a weak immune system since she was younger. _

'_Not again,' she whispered to herself. 'Not now.'_

_Suddenly, she felt the last of her energy drain from her body and she succumbed to the agony, dropping to her knees and holding her hands to her head. She saw a flash of blinding light, amplifying her migraine, and she was forced to close her eyes, not before seeing a tall blonde boy running towards her._

'_Kari!'_

_Kari's body fell sideways, taking her weight off her knees, and moments before she could hit the ground, she felt herself being caught in someone's arms._

'_Matt…' she sighed weakly. She was so tired she barely heard Matt make a demand to the other Children._

'_We set up camp here,' he said sternly. 'We have to rest now.'_

'_But Matt, we need to carry on, we need to find him-'_

'_No, Sora. I promised him that I would always look after Kari if she needed me to, and I'll be damned if I let her come to any harm. Besides, we'll be in no fit state to fight whatever's holding him if we don't rest.'_

_Kari forced herself to squint at Matt, who looked down at her in concern. 'My brother. I need my brother,' she mumbled._

'_We'll find him, Kar. I promise you, we'll find him.'_

* * *

Kari's reminiscing came to an abrupt halt.

'Are you excited?' Lacey bounced around the room, nudging Kari in her liveliness and causing her to abandon her packing.

'Of course,' she replied, closing her suitcase and sitting on it. 'I feel like I haven't seen my family in forever.'

Her bubbly blonde roommate threw herself on the bed and sat beside her friend, picking up photo of Tai, who was shirtless and sweaty after one of his soccer matches and laughing as he had his arm around his grossed-out sister. 'And you get to spend lots of time with that gooorgeous brother of yours. Ky, is it?' she asked absent-mindedly.

'Tai,' Kari corrected. 'And funnily enough, I don't think I look at it the same way you do.'

'You're seriously unlucky. Imagine knowing the hottest guy ever… and being _related _to him.'

'You're weird,' Kari giggled. 'It's really not that devastating,' she added sarcastically. 'Besides, you haven't even seen him that much. If you'd spent as much time with him as I have, you'd know all about his disgusting habits and you'd be put off men for life.' She held her finger and thumb about an inch apart. 'Seriously, I'm _this_ close to just dating girls.'

Lacey grimaced. 'What are we talking, like… biting his nails?'

'No, we're talking leaving his dirty socks lying around the house, drinking straight from the milk carton, sitting next to you and farting, etcetera, etcetera, the list goes on.'

'Ew.'

'Exactly.' Kari grinned. 'But… despite his faults, he's my big brother, and I'd be lying if I said I haven't missed him.'

'Awww, that's really sweet,' Lacey smiled. She watched as Kari moved to the other side of her bed and started sorting through a huge collection of photographs. There were some she'd taken recently, and some taken previously, pictures of herself with her friends and family before she left Odaiba to study Photography. She picked up a picture that had somehow separated itself from the pile. 'Ooh, another hottie,' she chirped. 'Who's this fine specimen?'

Kari peered over at the photo Lacey was holding and smiled. 'That's Matt.'

'A luuurve interest, perhaps?' Lacey winked and nudged Kari, who made a tutting sound and shook her head.

'Ehhh… no. He's my brother's best friend. So even if I did like him in that way, he's a guy off limits.'

'The best kind.'

'Oh, stop. He's my friend. And anyway, I used to go out with his brother.'

'Ooh, the older brother's best friend and the ex's older brother… I'm loving this drama.'

'There _is_ no drama, you loser,' Kari said, laughing. 'Seriously, cut it out, I'm trying to get myself sorted for tomorrow.'

'Alright.' Lacey watched Kari for a while, occasionally picking up a picture and tossing it back onto the pile, until a particular shot caught her eye. 'What's this?' She waved the photo in Kari's face.

'What's what?'

'This.'

Kari grabbed it from her. 'It's me and my brother at Christmas when I was like, twelve. We kinda look alike on that one, don't you think?'

'No, _this._' Lacey pointed at a tag hanging around twelve year old Kari's neck with a pink star-like symbol on it. 'Looks like Tai's got one, too. What are they?'

'Oh.' Kari thought quickly. 'Yeah. We got them from a couple of Christmas crackers. You know, the ones with the silly hats and crap jokes.'

'No.' Lacey's blunt response caused Kari to shoot a glance at her, and she was sure she felt a sweat rising on her forehead. 'They're more than that.'

'W-what?'

'That symbol. You have that exact same symbol tattooed on your wrist. And Tai-' she picked up a photo of the shirtless eldest Kamiya, '-he has the symbol on _his_ chain tattooed there.' She jabbed his chest, almost poking a hole in the paper. 'I doubt you'd both have permanent reminders of them if they were just 'from a couple of Christmas crackers'.'

Kari gawped, racking her brain for a quick answer, but there was only one that didn't sound completely ridiculous. 'They kind of became a running joke. We'd wear them for laughs, and the symbols just grew on us, I guess. Now I suppose they represent the bond we have.'

Lacey stared at Kari for a moment and the brunette was highly conscious of the sudden urge to gulp, but without leaving much time for panic, the blonde girl grinned. 'That's cute,' she said.

'Yeah,' Kari replied, breathing a subtle sigh of relief. 'It is.'

* * *

Matt sprawled out on the sofa, taking up more space than his best friend Tai would have liked, and the irritated brunette sighed when the phone rang loudly, interrupting their game.

'I understand your relief,' Matt said cockily as Tai got up to answer the phone. 'I've kicked your ass at this, like, nine times now.' He pressed several buttons aggressively on the controller and threw it down as the sound of cheering erupted from the TV. 'Make that ten,' he smirked.

Tai shook his head. 'Jackass,' he murmured as he plucked the phone from its cradle and sat down at the kitchen table.

Matt grinned and picked up his guitar, strumming a soft tune absent-mindedly. He did that a lot. Especially when he had nothing to do. Actually, he did it when he _did _have a lot to do, too. Alright, so he did it all the time. It was soothing for him, the feel of the strings and the flawless noise they created when he worked his magic. Music was his release from everything. From family dramas, from petty fights with friends, and especially from…

_Ping!_

…Girlfriend troubles.

Picking up his phone, Matt sighed as he saw the words _3 missed calls _on the screen, and opened the text message that had so rudely interrupted his mindless strumming.

_Where the hell are u? I've called you like a gazillion times in the last hour! U had better not be at Tai's, u know I don't like how u are when ur with him! Y do u insist on going against me all the damn time? We're gonna be having some serious words, Ishida!_

Matt ran a hand through his blonde hair. _You're damn right we are, _he thought bitterly. He tapped the reply button. He wanted to tell her that he was sorry, that he would see her soon and that he would make it up to her, like a good boyfriend would. But the truth was, Matt just didn't want to. He didn't feel like a good boyfriend at all, he felt like a very _bad _one. He felt guilty at having taken his perfectly nice friendship and turned it into something more, only to abandon it after just six months. He thoroughly regretted changing things between them, and he knew there was no turning back now. They couldn't ever go back to the way things were. 'You don't fuck your friend and then expect things to return to normal when your shitty decision bites you on the ass, do you?' Tai had said so sensitively. Matt wanted to keep the peace. He wanted an easy, quiet life. But she just wouldn't allow it. And he had been driven so crazy by her constant nagging and pressures that he just didn't have the energy to deal with it anymore. So he didn't tell her he was sorry. He didn't tell her that he would see her soon, nor that he would make it up to her. Without much thinking, he tapped out a simple, yet conclusive message.

_I need some space, Sora._

The deed done, he sat back with his guitar and turned the TV channel over, watching a boring documentary as his fingers flicked over the strings of the instrument. His attention was soon turned to Tai's irritated voice as he entered the living room, holding the phone to his ear and rolling his eyes.

'Yeah, that's great. Listen Lacey, could you put Kari back on?' He shot Matt a _help me _look, to which Matt simply shrugged. 'Please?' Tai listened for a moment before letting out a quiet sigh of relief. 'Thank you.'

Matt smirked to himself. Lacey, if he recalled correctly, was Kari's roommate. She had met Tai once when he'd gone to visit his sister, and it seemed she had fallen in love with him. Matt had been highly amused at Tai's frustration when he had returned home and instead of greeting his friend - who had been helping his mother cook a 'welcome home' dinner for her eldest son – he had thrown himself on the couch and groaned loudly.

* * *

'She's insufferable,' he'd said miserably.

Matt had looked at him in surprise. 'Kari?'

'No, her crazy roommate, Lacey. She didn't leave us alone all week. I went away to spend some time with my sister and came back in a _non-consensual _long distance relationship with a fucking man-eater.'

'Language, mister.' Mrs Kamiya shot him a warning glance.

Matt raised an eyebrow. 'You already have a girlfriend, Tai.'

'Yeah, well. She wasn't having any of it. Believe me, I'm _so _glad to be home. I spent like ninety eight percent of the time hiding from her.'

* * *

Matt laughed at the memory and Tai looked at him questioningly. He sat up straight as Tai settled onto the couch next to him, putting the phone on loudspeaker and placing it on the table.

'How's mom and dad?' Kari's voice filled the room and Matt smiled. He'd not seen her in what felt like a lifetime, and he wished they could all get together as a group again, like in the old days. But things were different now. Most of them had grown apart.

'They're good. _I'm _good too by the way, thanks for asking,' Tai whinged sarcastically.

'I was getting round to it,' his sister replied cheerily. 'Have you missed me?'

'Are you kidding? I get the place to myself when mom and dad are out, I even-'

'Alright, stop. I don't want to know what you and Mimi get up to.'

Tai laughed heartily. 'Relax, your room hasn't been violated. _Yet.'_

'Tai.'

'I'm joking,' he laughed. 'Seriously though, yes. I've missed you. You looking forward to coming home?'

'Sure. Just as long as TK stays out of the way.' Matt winced and Tai looked at him apologetically. 'Tai? You there?'

'Yeah, I'm here. And so is Matt. And you're on the loudspeaker.'

'Shit-'

Tai's jaw dropped in surprise. 'Language, sis!'

'Matt, I'm so sorry.'

Matt shrugged. 'Don't be,' he said simply. 'I get it.' TK was Matt's younger brother, and Kari's ex-boyfriend. They had dated for almost a year, until Kari had found out that her boyfriend hadn't been entirely faithful to her. As a matter of fact, she had been devastated to discover that TK had enjoyed several extra-curricular activities during their relationship, to put it sensitively. 'You holding up ok?'

'Oh, yeah. Fine. Just don't want any awkward situations, you know?'

'Yeah, I get that,' he said quietly.

'How've you been?'

Matt smirked as Tai leaned back, slightly peeved at having his phone call hijacked by his best friend. 'I've been good. We've started on that new album.' The 'we' Matt referred to was his band, The Wolves. They weren't exactly international, but they were well known and liked across many areas of Japan, and they had made comfortable lives for themselves with the profits of album sales. In the beginning, they had struggled with being unknown, finding a label willing to sign them, and building up a fan base that had started with just their friends, but they'd finally reached a point they were happy at. Life was going pretty well for Matt.

'Really? That's great!'

'Yeah.' He grinned proudly.

'How's Sora?'

The grin disappeared. He remained silent for a moment, and Tai glanced at him suspiciously. 'She's good. But, um… I don't think there's much there on the relationship front.'

'What?!' Tai sat up straight, and Matt offered him an awkward smile.

'Oh, I'm sorry to hear that,' Kari said kindly.

Matt's mouth closed into a thin line. He didn't get it. Tai Kamiya was loyal and brave, that much was true. But he was also loud, impulsive, insensitive, brash, abrupt, and let's face it – a little obnoxious. How his little sister grew up to be the warm, sweet, caring girl she was today was a complete mystery to Matt. He liked Kari. He was annoyed to discover that his own brother had hurt her. The girl was harmless, wouldn't hurt a fly. She didn't deserve it. She was one of the _good_ ones.

'So,' he said, changing the topic. 'I'm gonna get off now. But I guess I'll see you when you land tomorrow?'

'Oh, yeah, of course. Looking forward to it!'

'Me too,' he said with a small smile. He turned to Tai, who was staring at him with his arms crossed impatiently. He put his guitar away and swung it over his back. 'She's all yours.'

'Oh, well thank you!' Tai exclaimed sarcastically.

Matt smirked in amusement as he left the apartment. 'Later bro,' he said to his friend casually.

The strong rays of the sun hit him the moment he stepped outside and it was a sudden reminder of the scorching day Kari had fallen sick in the Digital World. He shuddered at the memory. _But Tai's safe now, and so is she, _he thought to himself. _That's all over now. _He thought back to that time as he headed to his car. On the day Kari had been revealed as the eighth Child, Tai had pulled Matt to one side and demanded he make a promise to him. If ever Tai wasn't around, Matt was to take care of her. It didn't seem like a ridiculous demand, and Matt didn't need any encouragement to make the promise. He was a brother himself after all, and he knew the worries of leaving a sibling by themselves. He also knew that there were very few people he would have trusted with his own brother's safety, so when Tai had entrusted him with Kari's, he had felt honoured. He had also been scared of the responsibility at such a young age, but a promise was a promise, and he would have given up his own life before he'd seen either TK or Kari come to any harm.

To this day, Tai made it clear that he expected Matt to look out for Kari if anything were to happen to him, and just as he had when they were children, he stayed true to his word. Ever since they had come together as kids to save two worlds, it was one of the things that bonded Matt and Kari - his responsibility for her.

And her reliance on him.


	2. Chapter 2

**Well hello there ;) I'm sorry it's taken a little while to get this chapter up. It was my birthday on the 4th, and my hubby took me to the Isle of Wight for a long weekend, and guys... it was amazing :) The weather was nice, the beach was beautiful and I ate so much good food I think I might have doubled my body weight. But anyway... I was planning on writing immediately when I got home, but then I made the mistake of watching Orange Is The New Black for the first time and let's just say... I'm completely addicted. It's taken up most of my free time, but I snapped out of it and wrote this chapter for you :P Which reminds me... To anyone currently reading Til We Meet Again, I definitely haven't abandoned it. I just haven't got round to writing the next chapter... and I have horrific writer's block on it :( It's taking a while for me to get my act together with that one. But never fear, it won't be long! Thank you for your reviews, I'm glad I'm not the only person who is interested in Matt and Kari as a pairing.**

**Oh... and there was one particularly helpful reviewer who pointed out that it's a little cliché to have TK and Sora be dickheads basically, lol. So I just wanted to point out that while TK is a bit of a shit, Sora is not. Not in this story, anyway lol. I like the dynamics between Matt and Sora, and wanted them to have a history, but still get along as good friends. I'm even hoping she can be one of the people to be a little supportive of Matt and Kari when things start kicking off lol. Thank you for your review, I hope you'll enjoy this chapter :)**

* * *

**CHAPTER TWO**

Kari hadn't yet had the chance to unpack. She had been met at the airport by her parents and brother, along with his new fiancée Mimi and now she was sitting in the living room having cake, questions and general attention forced on her. She thought her stomach might burst from the amount of food her mother had fed her while in her typical worry mode, telling her that she was 'wasting away.' She couldn't keep up with the questions Tai and Mimi were asking, and she had lost count of the amount of times her father had asked her if there was anything she needed.

'Tea? Coffee? More cake?'

'Really, dad, I'm fine.' Kari laughed, although she felt like gritting her teeth. She was feeling overwhelmed; her family's affections were appreciated, but she just wasn't used to being the centre of attention and quite frankly, it made her feel uncomfortable. 'Actually guys, I think I'm just going to go unpack and have a lie down if it's ok with you.'

Mrs Kamiya smiled. 'Of course sweetie, I'll call you when dinner's ready. It's Tai's turn to cook tonight.'

Tai's grin fell. 'What?'

'You're cooking dinner tonight. If you don't like it, you can move out.' His mother smiled at him. Tai's parents had been rather generous with him. They had allowed their son to move his girlfriend in and they often put up with his friends' random visits. They even offered to put some money towards a house for the couple when they tied the knot. Mr Kamiya often joked that they were just desperate to get rid of him, but the truth was that they wanted to put it off for as long as possible. They loved having the family together under one roof, and it just didn't feel quite right when Kari wasn't there. But now they were all back together again, even if only for a few months, and once again, the Kamiya family felt complete.

Kari's bedroom was in the same condition she left it in. It was a sizeable room, a little bigger than Tai's (something he wasn't pleased about) but she needed the space. Her impressive book collection almost rivalled that of the local library, and her computer was surrounded by several of her own drawings scattered on the large desk. Posters and photographs lined the walls, and she stood to look at them. There were pictures of herself out and about with her friends, a few professional shots of her with her brother and parents, and at the far end of the room hung a huge canvas. It displayed a beautiful photo of Kari and her best friend Yolei at the beach a couple of weeks before she left Tokyo. It was one of Kari's personal favourites and when Yolei had presented it to her before she left, she was disappointed to realise that it was far too big to take with her. So she hung it in pride of place above her bed. She looked at it now, admiring the quality of such a large picture when she remembered who took it. She swallowed. _He's history, _she thought quickly. _Don't think about him._ To distract herself, she headed over to a wall and started carefully removing a few posters and photos. She wanted to make space for new photos, new memories, and aside from all of that, she had simply moved on from some of the things that pleased her before. A poster of a famous singer came down, along with the pictures of her childhood celebrity crushes. Before Kari knew it, big empty spaces appeared on the wall and it looked almost alien to her. Placing a bunch of old posters on her bed, she reached up to another without looking and pulled it down. As she rolled it up, something told her to stop and look at it, and when she did a small smile played on her lips. A huge image of Matt and his bandmates graced the paper and in front of them stood three hefty, majestic looking wolves. _THE WOLVES_ was written in a large font at the top of the poster, and the members stood with serious expressions on their faces, all with their instruments of choice. She and Tai had bought a poster each at one of Matt's concert in support of the band, and despite its size on her wall, Kari had almost forgotten it existed.

'I can't get rid of this,' she said quietly to herself as she put it back up.

When her walls had been cleared of the things she was no longer interested in, she threw herself on her bed. Feeling something hard under her pillow, she put her hand under it and pulled out something she had completely forgotten about. It was a book, with a red leather cover and her name engraved on it in gold lettering. It was a beautiful book, but that was not why she was excited to see it again. The pages contained songs that she had hand written herself, with the odd diary entry thrown in here and there. Besides writing and photography being her only creative outputs, the songs and entries were extremely personal and heart-felt, and no one even knew the book existed, let alone read its contents. Not even her brother.

She flicked through a couple of pages when she came across a diary entry about her brother himself and intrigued, she began to read.

_July 2, 2009_

_I found out something about Tai today. He doesn't even know that I know. He's dating Mimi. As in Mimi Tachikawa. As in Mimi Tachikawa, Digidestined. Mimi Tachikawa, Chosen Child. You get where I'm going with this. It's crazy. No, scratch that. It's unbelievable. Who'd have guessed? I don't know why he hasn't told anyone. From what I gather, it's been going on for a while, and it seems pretty serious. Well, if Tai making an effort with his appearance and grinning like an idiot every time he looks at his phone counts as serious, then yes. It's serious. _

_Don't get me wrong, I like Mimi. I like her a lot. But I'm not going to lie, I'm scared. I'm scared because she's my friend and he's my brother, and if they fight and break up, I'm going to have to take a side. It sucks. I hope it doesn't come to that. I don't like confrontation, and I certainly don't like picking sides._

Kari smiled to herself. She recalled her worry when she had accidentally caught Tai and Mimi out, and it seemed like nothing but a distant memory. Mimi was a good girl. Tai treated her well, and in return she made him happy. That was enough for Kari. Her brother was her whole world, her best friend and her protector. The other half of her. The fact that he was happy made her happy. She flicked through a couple of pages absent-mindedly, smiling at some of her lyrics, and skipping some in fear that they may make her cry. A page that was filled with angry looking red writing caught her eye, and she looked up from the book as she remembered writing it, momentarily afraid to look back at it. Taking a deep breath, she finally glanced down and read on.

_It's over. OVER. I just can't take it anymore. TK Takaishi, the boy I gave my heart to, has broken it. Literally ripped it out and stamped on it. I'm still in shock. I never thought he was capable of cheating, not when he made so much effort to get me to date him in the first place. I only put up a fight at first because I was scared our friendship would be ruined. And I was right. It was. I'm so ANGRY! Turns out it was the little bitch with the morals of an alley-cat who lives next door to him. And it wasn't the first time. Whatever, she's welcome to him. I hope she gives him herpes or something!_

Kari's eyes widened. She would never wish bad luck on anyone, and she was surprised to realise just how mad she was back then.

_Matt's pretty pissed at him. I don't blame him. I'd be fuming if Tai treated a girl that way. Speaking of Tai, he went crazy. I think the only reason he didn't kick TK's door down to get at him was because I reminded him that he was Matt's little brother and I wouldn't have any more friendships ruined. Because although Matt is Tai's friend, he's also a brother, and no matter what your sibling does, you stand by them. I'm probably going to regret saying that at some point. But Matt and my brother have been friends for far too long for me to allow Tai to mess that up just because I'm hurting._

'Kari?' Tai knocked on the door and opened it without waiting for an answer. His voice was full of concern and he looked suspicious.

Kari looked at her brother in horror as she realised that she had been reading aloud. She quickly stuffed the book back under her pillow and plastered on a fake smile. 'Yeah?'

'Are you alright?'

'Oh. Yeah. I'm fine.'

'You sure?'

'Yeah.' She cocked her head to one side and giggled. 'Really, Tai. I'm ok. You don't need to worry about me.'

'Hmm.' Tai frowned. 'Alright. If you're sure.' He turned to leave but then looked back at his sister. 'Oh yeah. Matt's here. It's been a while, huh.'

'It certainly has.'

'Well then. Come say hi.'

'Alright, I'm up, I'm up.'

* * *

Matt sat next to Tai's mother, who had just offered him a third slice of cake. He politely declined, joking about his weight, and sat with an amused smile as Mrs Kamiya eagerly went on to ask a lot of questions. The subject soon turned to his career, something Matt enjoyed being asked about.

'How's it going with your band?'

'Good. It's all good. We've just started writing some songs for the new album, actually.'

'Really? Well you let me know when you release it, I want first dibs.'

Matt laughed heartily. 'You got it,' he said with a click of his tongue and a wink.

'Stop fangirling mom, you're forty-five, not fifteen.' Tai re-entered the living room and sat on the chair opposite the two.

'Oh, well excuse me for taking an interest.'

'That's alright Mrs Kamiya,' Matt interrupted. 'I promise you'll get a free copy, just for being my favourite fan.'

'Urgh.' Tai pretended to gag and Matt laughed.

Looking thoroughly satisfied, the matriarch stood up and went into the kitchen, giving Tai a smug smile as she passed.

'How do you do it?'

Matt looked up from the thread he was picking in his jeans. 'Do what?'

'Make fully grown women act like… _that_?' Tai waved his hand in his mother's direction.

'It's the Ishida charm,' he chuckled in reply, and Tai groaned.

'It's gross.'

'Whatever.' The pair sat in silence for a moment before footsteps were heard near the door. Tai looked back over his shoulder at the arrival and Matt glanced up. A strange feeling stirred in the pit of his stomach as he looked at the girl in front of him. It had been a while since he'd last seen her, but she hadn't changed much. Which is why he didn't feel entirely comfortable with the new sensation bubbling inside him now that he was looking at her again. He felt himself flush a little as he realised he hadn't yet spoken to her. 'Uh… hey.'

'Hey, Matt.'

'How're you doing?'

'Not bad. Thanks. You?'

'I'm good.'

Kari gave him a small smile and perched on the arm of the chair next to her brother. 'Aren't you supposed to be making my dinner?' She winked at him.

'You'd best be grateful that you're eating at all tonight, you cheeky little shit.'

Kari feigned a look of horrified offence, clapping her hand to her heart, and Tai smirked. His cocky smile turned into a grimace when he heard his mother's shrill voice yelling at him from another room.

'Tai Kamiya! What have I told you about controlling your language in this house?'

It was Kari's turn to smirk at her brother, and she shrugged innocently at him.

The older Kamiya rolled his eyes. 'Sorry, mom.'

'Good. Now get in here and help.'

Tai objected but stood up anyway, shooting a sharp glance in Matt's direction when the blonde snorted at him discreetly behind his hand. Kari laughed and moved to sit in the chair her brother had risen from.

'Please don't poison my food,' she said innocently.

Tai turned and pointed at her. 'I can make it look like an accident,' he said jokingly.

'Oh please,' said Kari with a snort. 'You'd miss me too much.' She smiled as she watched her brother leave the room, practically dragging his feet along the floor.

Matt watched as Kari flicked through channels on the TV lying on the chair with her legs over the arms of it, before flinching as the remote control came flying through the air towards him.

'Jesus!' His eyes widened as he caught it centimetres away from his face. 'Easy, tiger.'

He smiled as Kari giggled. 'I'm sorry,' she said sincerely. 'Look for something you want to watch, it seems they stopped putting good things on when I left.'

'Yeah, like you didn't watch TV in college.'

'Nope. Well, not really. I was always busy. The only time we really watched TV was when we'd get pizza and watch DVDs.'

'We?'

'Me and my roommate.'

'Lacey?'

Kari eyed him suspiciously. 'Yeah. How'd you…'

'It seems Tai came home from his last visit with a new-found phobia of girls named Lacey.'

'Oh.' Kari winced. 'He told you, then?'

'Oh yeah.' Matt smirked, and the two shared a moment of amusement, before Kari swung her legs over the chair so that she was sitting upright again. 'Have you sorted things out with Sora yet?'

'Oh. No. That's done,' he said simply. An awkward silence fell upon them until Kari sighed.

'I'm sorry.'

'No, don't be. Don't get me wrong, she's great. Really great. But we just don't work. I'm too laid back and a little careless sometimes, and she's kinda uptight. And a little neurotic. A bit like-'

'-Tai.'

Matt chuckled. 'Yeah. Tai.'

'So… is she ok with everything?'

'Yeah. It was a little awkward telling her I didn't want to be with her, but she got it. She said she knew I wasn't right for her either. I think we're ok.'

Matt thoughts took him back to the previous day, when he had sent the conclusive text message. About fifteen minutes after he arrived home, Sora herself had gone to see him. They had sat down at the kitchen table and discussed their situation. There were some disagreements and a few misunderstandings, but after several depressing hours, they both acknowledged that they were just too different and their relationship consequently came to an end on good terms and with a final hug.

* * *

'Six months I've wasted on you,' said Sora jokingly, wiping a tear away.

'I know. I'm sorry.'

'Don't be. It was a good six months. We had some fun, right?'

'Yeah.'

'Just… turns out we have more fun as friends.'

'Yeah.'

'Oh god,' Sora sniffed. 'I've dated Matt Ishida, how's anyone ever gonna match up to that?'

Matt smirked. 'I'm sure you'll find someone.'

Sora laughed, but it sounded almost sad. 'Sure.'

'No, really.' Matt took her hands and smiled at her. 'You're beautiful, funny and smart. Any guy would be lucky to have you. We're just too…'

'Different.'

'Yeah. Different. Come here.'

The two shared a hug, a hug more intimate than any they'd ever shared, because they both knew it would be their last one as a couple. Matt pulled away first and tilted Sora's chin with his finger so that he could look into her watery eyes. 'One for the road?'

Sora laughed and shook her head. 'Typical.' But she tilted her head further back, closed her eyes and allowed Matt to bend down and plant a delicate kiss on her lips for the last time. 'Wow,' she said quietly when they pulled apart.

'What?'

'If my next boyfriend doesn't kiss like that, I'm sending him to you for training.'

Matt smiled as she picked up her bag and keys, kissed his cheek and made her way to the door. On approaching it, she stopped and turned around. 'Thank you,' she said. 'For treating me well. I'm glad this ended the way it did.'

He nodded. 'Me too.'

* * *

'Earth to Matt… Come in, Matt. ISHIDA!'

'Holy shit.' Matt jumped and blinked rapidly as Kari clicked her fingers in front of his face.

'Yamato!'

'Sorry, Mrs Kamiya!' he shouted. He looked up at Kari. He wasn't sure how long she had been standing in front of him, but he liked that she was. She was fairly tall, like her brother and father, and she had a delicate frame. She was slim with curves in the right places, Matt noticed, and he found himself staring a little longer than he should have been. 'I'm sorry,' he said. 'Miles away.'

'You're telling me,' she laughed cheerily. 'You sure you're alright?'

'Oh. Yeah, of course.'

She giggled. 'Ok. You staying for dinner?'

'Uh, I dunno. I don't wanna outstay my welcome.'

'Oh, you won't. In fact, I insist.' She turned her head slightly towards the kitchen. 'You hear that, Tai?' she yelled.

'Got it!' was the reply from her brother, seemingly irritated that he now had to cook for his friend as well as his family and fiancée.

'Looks like _you're _not going anywhere,' she said to Matt with a smile.

'Hmm. Should I be scared?' he smirked.

She shrugged. 'Not of me. Tai's cooking, on the other hand…'

He smiled as he followed her in to the kitchen, where Tai was stressing about timing and ingredients since his mother had abandoned him and gone to her bedroom to catch up on her favourite TV show.

'Hey, Kar?'

'Yeah?'

'Does this taste right to you?'

Before Kari had the chance to answer, Tai spooned a pile of homemade ice cream into her mouth. Almost choking, she chewed (_chewed?)_ slowly and with a confused look on her face. 'Maybe go easy on the… is that salt?'

'Shit! Salt, sugar… easy mistake, right?'

'Oh god.' Kari ran to the bin and emptied her mouth, half expecting the contents of her stomach to follow. She turned back to face Tai, who somehow managed to look both amused and irritated at the same time. Matt chuckled discreetly, looking at the floor, not wanting Kari to see him laughing at her expense. 'What the hell is wrong with you?'

'I'm sorry!' Tai held up his hands. 'I'm no expert!'

'I'll say.' She wiped her mouth with the back of her hand and sighed. 'I'm gonna get out of your hair for a bit. Call me when dinner's ready.' She reached up and kissed her brother's cheek quickly, then turned to leave.

'Hold up.'

She stopped in her tracks. 'What?'

'Where are you going?'

'Downstairs. I'm just going to Mark's, I haven't seen him in ages.'

'Alright. Don't be too long, I'm slaving here.'

'Hmm. Makes up for all the times I made you dinner and got no appreciation.'

'You know I appreciate you, sis.'

'Sure.' She laughed. 'See you in a bit. You too, Matt. Nice to see you again.'

'Yeah,' he said. 'You too.'

He watched as she cheerfully blew them both a kiss and strolled out of the apartment with her jacket over her shoulder, then pushed himself up to sit on the counter Tai was working on. 'Who's Mark?'

'Oh,' he replied, rushing to take a tray from the oven and put another one in. 'Her friend.'

Matt raised an eyebrow. He knew Tai. The fact that he had just let his sister go to a man's house with no objections seemed out of character. 'And you're ok with that?'

Tai shrugged. 'Sure.'

'Is Tai Kamiya finally letting his sister make her own decisions?'

'No.'

Matt chuckled. 'Thought as much. You seem pretty laid back about it though.'

Tai narrowed his eyes at him. 'Wouldn't be jealous now, would you?'

'Don't be ridiculous. Just wondering where the change of heart came from, that's all.'

'Good. You're never getting your filthy hands on that one, Ishida.' Matt laughed cockily. 'Besides, he's no threat.'

'Ugly?'

'Not exactly. It's just… he's more interested in me than my sister… if you catch my drift.'

'Oh.. _Oh._'

Tai smirked at his friend's surprised reaction. 'Yeah.'

Something stirred in Matt at that moment. It felt like relief, but he brushed if off. Kari was fine. She was a big girl now, and he no longer had to take care of her, since Tai was around. _Yes, _he thought to himself. _That's why I'm relieved. She's safe._

'Good evening, gentlemen!' A loud, high pitched voice sounded from the doorway and both men turned to see Mimi bursting through, arms ladled with bags.

'Hey, Meems.' Tai barely acknowledged her before returning to his cooking.

'Wow, stop! I can't cope with the enthusiasm,' she exclaimed sarcastically.

Matt rolled his eyes and walked towards her. 'Here,' he said, taking some of her bags. 'Let me help.'

'Thank you,' she said breathlessly. 'You see this, Tai? At least someone knows how to greet a lady!'

'Yeah, sure.'

Mimi made a tutting noise and shook her head before smiling brightly at Matt. 'How're you holding up?'

'What do you mean?'

'Since yesterday. You know.'

'Oh, yeah. Fine. Is she ok?'

'She's great.' She nudged him with her elbow. 'I'm impressed, Ishida. You're the only guy I've ever met who's dumped a girl and made her happy.'

He chuckled. 'What can I say? I have a way with words.'

'Yeah, well.' Mimi dumped her bags on the living room floor and sighed, pushing her hair out of her flushed face. 'I'm glad you're both ok. Maybe it's for the best.'

'It's definitely for the best,' he replied confidently. 'She's brilliant. She deserves someone just like her.'

'And you?'

'What about me?'

'Is love on the horizon for our very own Romeo?'

'Pfft. I'm taking it slowly, Meems. I'm not interested in that right now.'

'Yeah, yeah.'

'What's that supposed to mean?'

'Oh come off it. You love female attention too much to avoid it. Plus,' she added while lowering her voice, 'you're a total hottie. You'll be off the market soon.'

'Sure, Mimi. If you say so.'

'I do say so.' She put a hand on his shoulder and smiled at him knowingly. 'Mark my words, Ishida.'

Matt frowned in confusion at the pink-haired girl strutting back into the kitchen to greet her fiancé properly. 'Strange girl,' he said to himself, shaking his head and smiling.


	3. Chapter 3

**CHAPTER THREE**

Kari stared at Mimi, who was twirling a lock of pink hair between her finger and thumb absent-mindedly as she used her free hand to text on her phone.

'Mimi?'

'Hmm?'

'I think I'm in love.'

Mimi put her phone down and sighed dreamily. 'You and me both, sister.'

'He's… perfect.'

'I'm not arguing with that.'

The girls looked down at the magazine on the table, unashamedly pouring over the glossy photograph of Ian Somerhalder on the front cover.

A girl with lavender-coloured hair stared at the girls in disgusted disbelief. 'You two are just… urgh.'

Mimi looked up at her in shock. 'Are you on crack? Do you know who this is? Look at him! That damn jawline-'

'-Those eyes,' Kari joined in. 'I think I just melted.'

Mimi took one of Yolei's hands across the table. 'Listen, sweetie. If you honestly feel nothing while looking at this… glorious specimen, then you're definitely confused about your sexuality.'

She snatched her hand away. 'I am not. I just – wow.' Yolei's eyes widened as Mimi turned over a few pages to see a more sordid version of the cover picture. 'Uh… I…'

'Oh thank goodness,' Mimi sighed. 'She _is _human after all.'

Kari giggled at her friend and her soon to be sister-in-law, and took a sip of her latte. The coffee shop was empty save for the three girls, and they were glad to be off their feet. The younger girls had always known how eccentric Mimi was, but they had never been shopping with her and now that they had, they had seen her in a whole new light. The truth was, Mimi was _aggressive._ Really aggressive. She knew how to push her way into a crowded shop and get to the tills first, and her persuasion skills were something that would have impressed anyone. Kari was not a girl who spent a lot of time on her appearance; the only thing she really paid attention to was her skincare routine (which had paid off; her skin was flawless and needed no coverage as a result). But somehow Mimi had talked her into getting new hair extensions, having her nails done and buying her body weight in new clothes. Kari felt weird. Her extensions felt a little tight, and she found herself picking at her pastel green nails almost immediately after leaving the salon. But after catching a glimpse of herself in a shop window, she actually stopped. She looked… amazing. Although her new Mimi-inspired look was not one she was going to keep (for practical reasons), she felt good and besides, she always enjoyed trying new things.

Mimi's phone pinged for the millionth time that day and Kari sighed. 'Seriously, who's harassing you?'

Mimi smiled. 'Your brother.'

'Jeez, he's like a dog with a bone.'

'Literally. I told him I was buying new underwear, and I haven't heard the end of it. He's a horny little fucker, seriously-'

'Mimi.'

'-You know, just the other night he woke me up at three in the morning for-'

'Alright, _enough_!' Kari shuddered. 'Urgh, I am so grossed out right now.'

Mimi giggled unashamedly. 'Are you coming back to our place, Yolei? Urgh. _Our place. _That still sounds weird.' She looked at Kari, who smiled at her. 'Hello? Yolei?'

The girls glanced at their friend, who was still staring at the magazine. 'You know, he kinda looks like a dark-haired version of Matt,' she said dreamily.

'Ishida? Let me see that.' Mimi snatched the magazine –much to Yolei's dismay - and stared hard. 'You know, he kinda does. Now I feel weird for drooling. Aaaand… even weirder now that I'm wondering if Matt looks the same under _his _clothes. Urgh.'

Kari laughed. 'Put your tongues back in, girls. We need to go, I don't think my poor feet can handle any more shopping.'

'Alright. But when we get home, you are forbidden to tell Tai that I was perving over his best friend's lookalike.'

'Oh please. He knows why you like to watch The Vampire Diaries _alone._' Kari nudged her and Mimi gasped.

'Wow. Low blow. Come on, let's get out of here.'

As the girls picked up their bags to leave, Kari took one last glance at the picture on the table. He _did_ look a little like Matt. It was the eyes. Piercing blue eyes that were easy to get lost in. She found herself slightly amused by the fact that she'd never really noticed Matt's appearance, much less appreciated it. But of course, that was because they had grown up together. Kari thought about it; _really_ thought about it, and in a moment of realisation, she finally understood why Matt was so popular with girls. She shuddered once more. _That's just weird, _she thought to herself.

* * *

Matt sprawled on the chair in his apartment, his guitar lying over his stomach, strumming absent-mindedly. He was supposed to be going out with TK at two-thirty to choose a birthday present for their mother, but it was already two-forty five and he was still absent. It didn't come as much of a surprise to Matt; their relationship had been somewhat strained ever since it had become apparent that TK wasn't going to grow out of his reckless teenage phase. He would often neglect his work as a training journalist (it was surprising to everyone that he still had a job), stay out all night, get involved with dodgy girls and their friends, and Matt was getting a little sick of acting like a parent rather than a sibling. It was a mystery to him as to why TK had grown up in such a way; he had been a sweet little boy as a kid and a bright, cheerful young man in his early teens. So why he appeared to have travelled so far from the rails was something no one understood. Of course, TK himself often blamed it on his parents' divorce, and sometimes even on Kari, but Matt had been through the separation of his family also, and he had experienced the breakdown of relationships too. And yet he had grown up to be a career-focussed young man, with respect for his peers and a level head, even if he was occasionally still a little promiscuous. That being said, he had always been faithful to his women, and in his eyes TK only had himself to blame for the deterioration of his relationship with Kari.

The front door finally opened, and in strolled TK himself, throwing his keys on the table and leaning against the kitchen doorframe with a self-assured smirk on his face. Matt stood up and moved closer to his brother.

'Where the fuck have you been?'

'What's it to you?' TK folded his arms against his chest.

'We were supposed to go and buy mom something for her birthday.'

'Oh, yeah.' TK wrinkled his nose as he suddenly remembered, then shrugged. 'Eh, oh well.'

'Oh well?' Matt stared at the younger blonde in disbelief.

'She hardly bothers with us anyway, Matt. I don't know why you're getting your panties in a twist.'

'You are unbelievable! Where have you been?'

'Maria's. She had some friends over, and I think I'm winning at least three of them over, if you know what I mean.' He winked at Matt and laughed at his brother's disgusted expression as he walked around him. 'Chill out, bro. You're the last person who can judge me.'

Matt's eyes widened in astonishment. 'How the _fuck _did you come to that conclusion?'

'Oh, come off it. Like you don't sleep with anyone willing to blow you.'

'You are _way_ out of line, TK,' Matt hissed.

'Not really. How is what I do any different to what you do?'

'I know how to stay faithful to my girlfriend.'

'Sure you do. At least, you would if you had one. Maria's dispensable anyway.'

'And Kari?' Matt stared coldly at him. 'That girl would have done anything to make you happy.'

TK snorted. 'Oh, I think even _you'd_ be surprised at the things innocent little Kari Kamiya did to make me happy.'

'You disrespectful little-'

'-Kari was easy when it came to me. Would have accepted any excuse. To be honest, she had it coming to her.' He moved away a little as Matt took a rapid step closer to him.

'_You,_' he hissed through gritted teeth as he stood with no more than two inches between his face and his brother's, 'need to watch your fucking tongue. You have _no _idea how lucky you were.'

TK stood still, momentarily intimidated by Matt's threatening stance and dangerously low voice. His confidence soon returned though, and he gave the taller man a cocky smirk. 'Whatever, bro.' He strolled right past him and headed towards his room. 'Methinks you're a little too defensive of her,' he said before he shut his door.

Adrenaline flooded through Matt's body. His fists were clenched and his entire being shook with anger. He had spent half of his life defending Kari when Tai couldn't, and now someone was disrespecting her in such a way that he needed to retaliate. Unfortunately, that person was his brother, his own flesh and blood, and Matt just couldn't bring himself to harm him. He felt let down by his own loyalty, but more than anything, he felt as though he had let Tai and Kari down. Letting a low, furious moan escape his throat, he picked up his keys and angrily dialled a number on his phone.

'Hello?'

'Tai, it's me.'

'I know. That's what caller ID's for.'

'Smart. Can I come over?'

'Dude. I think I'm gonna have to start charging you rent money.' Tai chuckled to himself but stopped immediately when he realised that Matt had fallen silent. 'What is it? Ishida. Talk to me, man.'

Matt considered telling him about his argument with TK involving Kari, but then decided against it. If there was one thing he didn't want, it was an angry Tai kicking his front door down to kill his brother. 'I'm fine, I just need to chill out, and I can't do that here.'

'Well then get your ass round to mine, Mimi's gone out with Yolei and my sister and she's bringing McDonald's back. I'll text her and tell her to get you a Big Mac, yeah?'

Matt managed a small smile despite the fury still causing him to shake. 'You know me too well. Thanks, buddy. See you in a few.'

'Laters.'

* * *

'Man, what a dick.'

'Tell me about it.' Matt sighed as he angrily jabbed at the buttons on the Xbox controller.

'So what was the argument about? Oh you have _got_ to be kidding me!' Tai threw his own controller down in frustration as Matt won yet another game.

'Not much, you know how he is,' Matt lied.

'Sounds like he needs a crash course in respecting his elders.'

Matt smiled at that comment. 'I ain't gonna argue with that. I don't know what to do with him, Tai.'

'Kick him out.' He looked at Matt sternly. 'I'm serious. He eats your food, sleeps in your apartment – rent-free, might I add – and he doesn't even appreciate it.'

'I guess. I mean, it's not like I need the money-'

'Smug bastard.'

Matt smirked. 'But his attitude is really starting to piss me off. And yet… He's my brother. I can't see him out on the streets. I know he earns his own money, but there's no way he'd keep up with the rent on a place of his own; he'd be out on his ass after a month.'

'I guess.'

'What would you do, Tai? If Kari went off the fucking rails and disrespected you in your house?'

'I dunno,' Tai reluctantly admitted. 'But then, I can't imagine her like that. I'm pretty lucky with that one.'

'Hmm.'

The two men were interrupted by three girls entering the apartment, the eldest chattering brightly as the other two listened intently. Tai greeted his fiancée with a rather suggestive kiss, and Kari grimaced.

'Gross.'

She looked different, Matt noticed. Her hair. Her hair was longer, and thicker and… it suited her. He watched as Tai looked at her oddly then pointed at her hair speechlessly.

'Don't ask,' she said simply as she dumped her bags on the kitchen table.

Tai looked to Mimi. 'Was this your idea? Did you turn my baby sister into your clone?'

'Hey, don't use that tone with me, mister. She looks beautiful, and you know it.' Tai stared at his fiancée for a moment and then shrugged in agreement. 'Besides, I have something in here that might make it up to you.'

Tai edged closer with desire in his eyes as Mimi opened one of her bags in excitement.

'Oh my god, guys. Still here!' Kari shuddered. Matt's presence in the doorway caused all three girls to look up. He put his hands in his pockets uneasily as an awkward silence fell upon them. Yolei made an odd stuttering sound and immediately all three girls burst into peals of laughter, causing the men to jump in alarm.

'What the-?' Matt stared in confusion at the hysterical women, and a small smile eventually reached his lips. He would never had admitted it, but their joy and humour bought him a certain amount of happiness, especially Kari's. She was so pretty when she laughed. The looks on the girls' faces almost made him want to laugh as well; and he would have too, if it weren't for his suspicion of the source of their amusement.

'Stop! Stop! I can't breathe!' Mimi held onto Yolei for support as she clutched at her sides, her uncontrollable laughter, causing her to keel over.

'Alright, alright, give it up girls,' Kari giggled, taking a deep breath and wiping an actual tear from her eye. 'It's not even that funny.'

'Oh sure it's not,' Yolei replied. She winked at Kari. 'I don't know about you, but I'm gonna have some nice dreams tonight.'

Mimi stopped laughing to take a shaky breath. 'Oh, Ian. I just-' The sentence remained incomplete as she burst into laughter once again, and she picked up her bags to take them to her bedroom. 'I can't, I just can't… oh my life,' she giggled.

'I'm gonna go,' breathed Yolei. 'I need some air.'

'Alright,' said Kari with a grin. She hugged her friend and ignored the quiet giggling coming from her. 'Nice to see you again.'

'You too,' said Yolei. She made another unattractive 'Pahhh!' noise and left the apartment, her bags resting in the crooks of her arms.

The room fell silent. Matt and Tai stared at Kari in bewilderment.

'What… the fuck was that?' asked Matt.

'It doesn't matter. Just something that Yolei mentioned earlier. It isn't as funny now,' she admitted, her cheeks heating up.

'Right. Well, erm… I'm gonna go and see what Mimi's bought,' said Tai with a cocky wink, and he practically skipped to his bedroom, leaving his sister alone with Matt.

'Oh,' said Kari, reaching into her bag and tossing a wrapped burger in Matt's direction. 'Here.'

'Thanks, bro.'

Kari froze. 'Bro?'

'Shit, I'm sorry. Force of habit.'

She giggled. 'It's alright. Davis calls me that all the time. When I point out that I am in fact female, he says that as Tai's sister, I am 'a bro by association'.'

'Makes sense.'

'Oh yeah, sure.'

Matt followed her back into the living room and sat down, watching as she made herself comfortable in the chair opposite, once again dangling her legs over the arm. He also watched as she turned on the TV and browsed the channels. She really was pretty. He'd never noticed it before; he'd only ever been aware of the fact that she looked an awful lot like Tai, but now he was looking at her, _really_ looking at her, he saw how shiny her hair was, how her dark eyes glinted as if she had a secret, how she sat so casually, a trait that she had obviously inherited from her older brother. _Jesus, _he thought uneasily. _Kari's… attractive. _The thought weirded him out to no end, and he shook his head to rid himself of it.

* * *

Kari practically lay on the chair, swinging her legs over the side of it, flicking through the channels on the TV. But the truth was, she wasn't really paying attention to it at all. To her dismay, she found that she could only think about the conversation held with her friends in the coffee shop that morning. She smiled as she remembered the hungry look on Yolei's face as she looked at the magazine, and then again when she had seen Matt. The feelings of guilt Mimi had expressed on the way home, much to the amusement of the other girls. And the moment Kari had realised that the man in question really did resemble her brother's best friend. She hadn't noticed before, and she felt a little uncomfortable that she had now. It was _Matt,_ for crying out loud. He wasn't supposed to be attractive. He was supposed to be like another brother, and she was pretty certain girls didn't find their brothers attractive. In her personal opinion, her own brother always looked like he had been dragged through a hedge backwards, and she never understood why Mimi was always so hot for him. It made her cringe. She glanced up for a moment, her eyes locking on Matt's face, studying him closely. It was true; his jawline was sharp and defined, and his eyes were a bright, piercing blue. Kari felt something stir inside her and she frowned, unimpressed with this new view on her friend. Matt must have felt her eyes on him, because he suddenly looked up at her and his own eyes locked with hers.

'Everything alright?' He asked casually, taking a bite from his burger.

'Oh. Yeah.' Kari looked away quickly, embarrassed that he had caught her staring. She thought for a moment and looked back, catching his gaze once again.

'What is it?' Matt asked, mild concern suddenly hiding in his voice.

'Have you ever heard of Ian Somerhalder?'

He looked at her oddly, shook his head then raised his eyebrows. 'Oh, wait. He's the actor guy, right? The model.'

Kari smiled. 'That's the one.'

* * *

**Guys. Guys. Guys. I have to admit, I got inspiration for this chapter from an incident that happened today. One of my friends was on Tumblr and as she was scrolling down there was a picture of Eliza from The Wild Thornberries. She pointed out how random this was, and then another friend told us to wait while she loaded a picture of her sister on Facebook... and she looks _exactly_ like Eliza. Like I'm not even kidding, it was weird. And it wasn't even that funny, but we saw her sister a few hours later and we couldn't stop laughing, and I felt so bad for laughing at her expense, that I had to tell her. Luckily, she found it amusing :P**

**Oh and if any of you have been hiding under a rock and don't know who Ian Somerhalder is, there's a link on my profile to a picture of him.  
**

**Gahhh look at him, he's even got the Ishida smirk ;)**

**Thanks for reading, and thanks also for the reviews and nice messages.**

**Have a nice day :)**


	4. Chapter 4

**Didn't think I'd forgotten about you, did you? :P Sorry it's taken a while, it's been a busy week! Speaking of which, this chapter (and some of the next one) is yet again partly based on something I did at the weekend... I went to a charity ball and wore a beautiful dress and I felt like a princess. Just thought that was worth announcing lol. If you read the epilogue of If You Love Someone, you'll know that I managed to hurt myself like an idiot in May, and I just thought I'd let you know that I'm healing well :) I'm still a little tender, but it's all good. Anyway, back to the story... In this chapter I'll be describing some dresses, but my description skills leave a lot to be desired, so I'll put a link on my profile to the dresses I have in mind for Sora, Mimi and Kari. Thank you for your reviews, they are very much appreciated. I hope I haven't rambled too much in this chapter, and I also hope you enjoy it.**

**Happy reading :)**

* * *

**CHAPTER FOUR**

Several life-sized mannequins stood in the centre of the living room, each wearing a dress. The dresses were pretty similar, all green with large billowing skirts, and as Sora paced the room stroking her chin in frustration, Kari couldn't help but think that the older girl was taking it a little too seriously. Thankfully, it appeared that Mimi's point of view did not differ.

'Don't you think you're making a big deal out of a small decision?' she asked, twirling a lock of pink hair casually and taking a sip of red wine. 'I mean, they're pretty much identical.'

'How can something be _pretty much_ identical?' Sora shrieked, slamming her arms to her sides. 'It has to be perfect, Mimi! Oh god, maybe I should have used a different colour altogether.'

'No,' said Kari, determined to lighten the mood. She placed her glass of juice on the table and stood up next to one of the dresses. 'This green is perfect. Look, it suits my skin tone. And this one,' she moved to the next mannequin, 'would look perfect on Mimi after her monthly spray-tan,' she winked.

Mimi raised her wine glass in respect. 'Amen, sister.'

'The way I see it, it's all about perspective. Think about who you want to dress. Will the colour suit them? Will the material drown them? Or will it make them look… erm… bigger?'

'With all due respect Kar, I'm a designer. I'm trained in all this visual stuff.'

'Well… where do you intend one of these dresses to be worn?'

'At the ball, tomorrow.'

'And by who?'

'Um…' Sora's cheeks reddened slightly. 'Me.'

Mimi spluttered as she almost choked on her wine and Kari laughed. The older girl stood up and took Sora's arm. 'Well why didn't you say so?'

'Isn't it kinda sad that I'm making my own dress?'

'Sweetie, all of these dresses are ten times more stunning than the one I bought,' said Mimi brightly.

'And mine,' Kari agreed.

'And we are the _perfect _people to tell you what suits you.' The girls dragged Sora to the middle dress and held the skirts up to her arm. 'See?' Mimi grinned. 'How gorgeous is that colour against your skin? And your _hair,_ oh my gosh… Green totally goes with ginge.'

'Charming.'

Kari giggled. 'I assume the measurements are right?'

Sora nodded. 'Of course.'

The youngest girl carefully pulled the beautiful green gown off the mannequin and shoved it into Sora's arms. 'Then get up those stairs and try this bad boy on! We wanna see your mask, too.'

Sora smiled uncertainly. 'Hmm. Ok. But you have to be honest with me. When I ask you if I look like a green hippo, I want the truth.'

Kari and Mimi grinned. 'Of course,' they said in unison.

'Meems?' Kari sat down as Sora left the room.

'Hmm?'

'Do you ever think about the Digital World?'

Her eyes widened. 'Wow, where did that come from?'

'It's just… I was reading something in my diary the other day. About when I found out about you and Tai. And it just got me thinking about where it all started and how it shaped our lives.' Kari shrugged.

Mimi hesitated for a moment, swirling her wine glass and staring at it. 'Yeah. I do. A lot. It's weird, isn't it? It was such a huge part of our lives, and we just… don't talk about it anymore. Like we've outgrown it or something.'

Kari stared at Mimi. She understood. It was the first time she had mentioned that place in years, and to know that she wasn't the only one thinking about it was somewhat comforting. 'Do you remember the first time you went?'

'Pfft. Of course. You don't forget things like that.' Mimi shook her head with a small smile and then looked at Kari, who had a slight frown. 'You don't remember, do you?'

'Yes. No. Kind of. I remember when I had to go with you guys for the first time, but certain events are kinda… foggy. I dunno, I probably just blocked it out.'

Mimi snorted in amusement. 'Probably for the best.'

'What do you mean?'

'Kari, you were eight years old. To this day, I still think that it was grossly unfair that _children_ had to save two worlds, but you were _eight._ That's like…' She placed her hand no more than two feet above the carpet. '…This big.'

'You're exaggerating.'

'Only a little bit, that's the twisted thing. Anyway, we saw things no child should have to see. Believe me, it's probably best that you don't remember some of it.'

Kari smiled. 'I was well looked after.'

Mimi nodded in agreement. 'True. Tai barely left your side, he was so paranoid about you, and yet it was like he didn't know what to do with you.' She laughed loudly. 'Oh god, I remember this one time, we were up really early, so you and TK were still half-asleep. Tai was trying to do your hair, and it kept flicking to one side because you'd slept on it all funny. Eventually he got really mad, threw the brush down and stormed off in a tantrum.'

'Typical,' Kari giggled. 'So you all let me wander the Digital World with bad hair?'

'Ahh. No. Matt did it in the end.'

'Matt?'

'I know, I told him he should be a hair stylist, and he got all grumpy,' Mimi smirked. Her smile faded quickly and she looked back to her glass awkwardly.

'And…?' Kari looked at her friend in concern. 'Meems?'

'It caused some… friction.'

'Why? Because you insulted his masculinity?' She smirked.

'Matt and your brother had this big fight because - to be quite honest - Tai was feeling threatened by how Matt could look after you and TK and he couldn't.'

'But he could. He did.'

'Yeah, but you know what Tai's like.' A small smile returned to Mimi's face. 'Anyway, it must have blown over because even now he expects Matt to look out for you when he can't.'

Kari snorted sarcastically. 'Of course. I mean, it's not like I'm an adult who can take care of herself is it?'

'Kari. It's not like that. You know how he worries about you. Especially when you get sick. And I don't blame him.' Mimi clicked her fingers at her. 'Girl, if your immune system was any shittier, you'd be living in a plastic bubble.'

'I'm surprised he hasn't already put me in one,' the younger girl smirked. 'Urgh, jinx calls me.' She held her hand to her head.

'You alright?'

Kari nodded. 'Yeah. Just a headache, I'll be fine in a moment.'

'And you're not even drinking.' Mimi giggled quietly, then sighed. 'They practically raised you in that place.' She smiled. 'You're brave, strong, and loyal. And it's because of them. You're a lucky girl, Kar. Those boys would have died for you. I wish I'd had that.'

Kari felt a surge of appreciation. She knew Tai would give his life for her, he'd always made that clear. But the fact that Matt would have done the same – when he not only had his own brother to protect, but he was also just a twelve year old boy unrelated to her – made her feel more loved than she ever had. She smiled. _I have the best friends in the world, _she thought to herself.

'Anyway,' Mimi continued, 'I can feel us going down an emotional path and I am so not down for that.' She put her glass on the table. 'Quick, change the subject.'

'To what?'

'I dunno. Your dress. Tell me about it.'

Kari smiled. She and her friends had been invited to a charity ball hosted by Sora's company, during which some of Sora's own creations were to be sold to the highest bidders with the proceeds going to a children's charity. The dress code was pretty extravagant, masks and everything, and the girls in particular were highly enthusiastic about their choice of clothing. Kari's own dress was the most beautiful thing she had ever laid eyes on and she had fallen in love with it on first sight. Lacey had pointed it out to her several weeks before she had been due to come home, and although it was a little pricey, Kari just couldn't bring herself to leave the boutique without it. It was black and sleeveless, and consisted of a corseted bodice and a floor length skirt, made even more extravagant by its many underskirts. The top half of the dress was completely adorned with tiny golden crystals, giving the appearance of glitter, and the beads scattered further down the dress, giving way to the heavy black material of its skirts. The dress was to be worn with elbow-length gloves made from black satin, and a gold mask covered in black lace and a single long black feather next to the right eye. Kari was glad she'd had extensions fitted because she had the perfect hairstyle in mind. She grinned as she pictured it.

'It's beautiful,' she sighed dreamily. 'You'll have to see it to appreciate it.'

'I can't wait,' said Mimi excitedly. 'Mine is…' The girl's voice trailed off as the pair turned to the doorway, where Sora stood awkwardly. Her hands were clasped over the front of her dress nervously and she had a shy smile on her face.

'Well,' she said uncertainly, 'what do you think?'

'It's… you're…' Kari stuttered.

'Beautiful,' Mimi finished, staring at her friend.

Sora breathed a sigh of relief and smoothed her hands over her dress. It was a simple garment, dark emerald satin, with a tight bodice and large ruched skirt. The shade complimented her soft pale skin and auburn hair, and the simple design ensured that the attention was on the mask she wore over her eyes. The eyewear was green and decorated with black sequins and feathers and Kari couldn't take her eyes off it.

'You look like a princess,' she said quietly.

Sora giggled and dropped into a low curtsey. 'I kinda feel like one,' she admitted.

'Matt doesn't know what he's missing,' winked Mimi.

'Well he will tomorrow night,' Kari added.

'Guys, please.' Sora placed her hands on her hips. 'I don't want Matt to miss me. We ended on good terms, and I like that.'

'Whatever,' Mimi shrugged. 'You're gonna walk in there tomorrow and a thousand guys are gonna fall in love.'

'Drama queen,' Sora smirked.

'Only a little.' The girls laughed before Mimi gasped and placed her hands up in front of her as though she had remembered something. 'Oh my gosh, guys! I totally forgot!'

'What?' Kari's brow furrowed in confusion but then raised as she saw what Mimi was presenting in front of them. It was a beautiful ring on her ring finger; a white gold band with a subtle diamond, and the simplicity of it was perfect when contrasted with her long sparkling pink fingernails.

'Oh!' Sora gasped and grabbed Mimi's hand as the bride-to-be grinned proudly. 'It's stunning!'

'Who'd have guessed? My brother does have taste after all,' said Kari, admiring the elegant jewellery.

Mimi laughed. 'He saved for ages for it. I think he felt bad that he didn't propose with one, but I'm marrying _him_, not a ring. Besides, it was totally worth the wait, right?'

'Totally.'

A knock on the door disturbed the girls, and Sora grimaced, taking off her mask. Kari looked at her and frowned.

'What's wrong?'

'I am so sorry, I completely forgot.'

'What?'

Sora glanced at her apologetically, and spoke slowly through gritted teeth. 'That, err… that'll be TK. I made some alterations on his jacket and told him to pick it up tonight.'

'Sora!'

'I'm sorry, what was I supposed to do?'

'Oh I dunno, not double book me with him, maybe?'

'Kari.'

'Alright, I'm sorry. It's fine. I don't want to be around him, so if it's all the same to you, I'm just gonna sit on the stairs until he's gone.'

'Alright, babe.' Sora put a hand on her shoulder. 'I'll be quick, I promise. Just a fitting and he can sling his hook, right?'

Kari managed a small smile. 'Right.'

The carpet on the stairs, Kari noticed, was white and thick. She pressed her fingers into it absent-mindedly and looked at the indents they made as she sat with her chin in her hand and her elbow propped on her knee. It wasn't until she heard the beginning of a potentially interesting conversation that she stopped her mindless fiddling. It wasn't much like Kari to eavesdrop, but she couldn't help it. She didn't know why she was interested, she just knew she was.

'Matt?' Sora sounded confused. 'Sure, we're ok. Why? Here, turn around.'

TK's voice sounded cold, and something about it gave Kari the impression that he was gossiping. 'Oh, just something he said earlier.'

There was an uncomfortable silence, before Kari saw through a crack in the door that Sora's face had been painted with suspicion. 'What did he say?'

TK shrugged. 'It's probably nothing.'

'TK.'

His dramatic sigh caused Kari to roll her eyes. _Here we go, _she thought. _Blatantly about to start stirring it._

'To be honest, it was more of a lecture. We argued, and somehow Kari was bought into it-'

'-Kari?'

The younger girl leaned further forward at the mention of her name and suddenly she was highly conscious of the fact that she was having to control her breathing pattern. _What did they say about me? _She wondered. She shuddered at the thought of Matt being two-faced about her. TK, she could understand, but not Matt. He'd always been lovely to her.

'Yep. Our _relationship-',_ he said as he used air quotes, '-was mentioned, he moaned at me for whatever I did, yada, yada, yada. In the end he practically exploded, got right up in my face and everything.'

'You shouldn't provoke him, TK,' said Sora. 'You know how he struggles to control his temper.'

'Sure, sure, whatever. But the point is, he was going on and on, saying how I have no idea how lucky I was to have her, and he threatened me for being –I'll admit it- a little out of order. But I'd had a drink, what can I say?'

'Something that doesn't involve slagging people off?' Kari smiled at Mimi's response. _She really was lucky to have her._

'Whatever.' He looked at Sora. 'I'm just saying, I wondered if that was why you guys split up.'

'What?'

'Well… you know.'

Sora narrowed her eyes at him. 'No, I don't. What exactly are you getting at?'

'Oh god, it's so obvious, guys! Why would he have blown up at me like that? And I don't know if anyone else has noticed, my brother spends a _lot _of time at the Kamiyas', and he can't seem to stay away now that _she's _back. Clearly, something's going on.'

_What the fuck?_

Kari couldn't take it. She pushed open the door violently –much to Sora's dismay- and stood a few inches away from her ex-boyfriend. 'You lying little fuck,' she hissed.

'Eavesdropping?' TK smirked. 'Classy, Kari. Very classy.'

'Shit-stirring? Classy, TK. Very classy.'

He placed his hands on his waist and smiled. 'I'm only stating facts. That's what he did, and he was a little too defensive if you ask me. It doesn't take a genius to figure it out. Although it's not very loyal of you, is it? Your friend's ex? I'm shocked, Kari, I really am.'

His smug sarcasm was almost enough to bring out a violent side of the usually placid girl, something her friends had very rarely seen. She glanced at Sora, who had a hurt expression. It was unclear for a moment, however, whether she was hurt that TK was spreading horrible rumours, or that she really did believe said lies. Kari hoped it wasn't the latter, but when she caught her friend's eye, she knew what it was. Confusion. It was so plainly obvious that Sora didn't know what to believe that Kari was almost offended.

'Do you-' she stepped even closer to him, '-have _any _idea what my brother will do to Matt if he catches wind of your pathetic lies?' she asked quietly, steadying her breathing.

TK stood completely still for a moment, as though contemplating what Kari had just suggested.

She paused for a second and then answered her own question. 'He'll _bury _him, TK. He will go completely bat shit crazy and make him pay for a betrayalthat never happened. And what about me? I know you're not exactly my number one fan, but come on! He'll hate me!'

'He won't hate you and you know he won't. But I think some bonds are going to be a little damaged, don't you?'

'NOTHING IS GOING ON!' she screamed, causing her small audience to practically jump out of their skins. She stared at Sora. 'Don't tell me you believe this.'

'It's not you I'd expect it from, Kari. But Matt… I'm not so sure. He does have a bit of a reputation.'

Kari gaped in disbelief. 'You… you are… you're _unbelievable!_' She picked up her door keys angrily and stormed off.

'Kari, wait.' Mimi grasped her arm, but Kari pulled it away. 'Where are you going?'

Kari didn't even slow down. 'To put things to bed,' she said simply.

'Isn't that what got you into trouble in the first place?' TK called after her.

'Fuck you.'

* * *

It was getting dark, and Matt was on the balcony smoking a cigarette and cursing himself for starting the habit again after he had done so well to quit. He didn't know what was bothering him so much. The disrespectful comments from TK about his friend had made him angry, true. But his reaction was not one he was familiar with. He hadn't been that angry since Kari had surrendered herself to Phantomon back in the Digital World. He had struggled, not knowing whether to be angry at Kari for giving herself up, the Digimon for taking her, or himself for letting her and her brother down. Tai had trusted him to keep her safe… and he had failed. Underneath his brave, determined façade, Matt was furious, and he had no output for his anger, allowing it to build and build until it became a problem. Now, he frowned, feeling the familiar sensation in his stomach. His anger wasn't directed at his brother more than it was at himself, for reacting in such a way. And then he realised something. Those two events, those points in time in which he had felt most angry, there was a common denominator. Kari. The thought made him uncomfortable and he desperately tried to think of something else. He sighed as a loud knock at his door answered his prayer and he silently thanked whatever deity for the welcome distraction, throwing his cigarette over the balcony and heading back inside to answer it.

_Or not…_

The girl responsible for the interruption stormed past him and threw her bag and keys on the table. Matt paused at the door, holding it open and staring at the empty space where she had stood just two seconds earlier. 'Please,' he said sarcastically. 'Come in.'

He turned and noticed that she was leaning over the table, breathing heavily and shaking slightly. Her face was red and the front of her hair was damp. The caring side of Matt wanted to comfort her, but the male side of him was too busy forcing him to think about how she still looked pretty even when she was dishevelled. He shook his head and wandered over to her, putting an arm around her shoulder.

'Kari? What is it?' The girl said nothing, and he gently placed a hand on her forehead in concern. 'Kari, you're burning up.'

'Of course I'm burning up,' she snapped. 'I just practically ran about a million miles from Sora's.'

'What?'

'Just a heads up,' she warned breathlessly. 'TK seems to have it in for us.'

'I don't understand.'

'He just turned up at Sora's, suggesting that there's something going on… with us.'

'_What?!_'

'I know, right?' Kari groaned and sat at the table, pushing her hair out of her face. 'Imagine if Tai believed him.'

'He wouldn't,' Matt replied, almost convinced by his own confidence. 'Hey,' he said, moving closer to her. 'Why'd you come all the way over here just for that?'

'Just for that?' she repeated. 'TK's _lying _about us, Matt. Bad, bad lies. And I think Sora believed him!' She rubbed at her temples, and Matt knew she had a headache. She always did that when her head was hurting.

'Why would she believe him?'

'Oh god. He sounded so convincing. He said you guys had a fight about me, and that you got all up in his face and told him he didn't know how lucky he was to have me. Lying prick! Excuse my language, seriously, but come on! What's even the point?' Matt said nothing, and Kari narrowed her eyes at him. 'Matt?'

'I, uh…'

Kari's eye's widened and she opened her mouth in surprise. 'You _did _say that!'

'I uh… I might have.'

'What? Why?'

'I was just defending you! What, would you have rather me agreed with him?'

'No, but-'

'For crying out loud Kari, in what fucking world can a man not stick up for his friend?'

Kari fell silent. His words rang in her head, but one particular word stood out. _Man._ It was odd. She had always looked up to him, but the realisation that he was a _man_ now was a little unsettling. Why she had never really thought about it, she didn't know, but suddenly she was no longer looking at Matt, Chosen Child and family friend. She was looking at Matt, grown man. Grown, frustrated, _attractive_ man. Luckily for her, Matt had mistaken her staring for one of hurt and offence, and he closed his eyes.

'Kar, I'm sorry.'

'No,' she replied, thoroughly bothered by her thoughts. 'I am, I'm overreacting.' The pair waited quietly until her breathing had returned to normal and eventually she sighed. 'Thank you,' she said. 'I don't know why he hates me so much.'

'He doesn't,' said Matt. 'He's probably just frustrated because he can't do better.' _Fuck._

He gritted his teeth as Kari looked up at him. 'What?'

'I mean… his current girlfriend… she's erm, not particularly attractive and, uh…' he sighed in defeat. 'She's nothing compared to you.' He mentally slapped himself for his poor choice of words.

Kari stared at him in surprise, and for a moment, Matt thought the awkward silence might kill him. 'You… you really think so?'

'Yeah. Yeah, I do. He was a dick to you, and I don't understand why. You're a sweet girl, Kari. You didn't deserve any of that.' He frowned at the small smirk Kari was giving him. 'What?'

'For a moment there, I thought you were giving me the Ishida charm.'

Despite his discomfort, he laughed. 'Your brother would cut my fingers off, I'm sure of it.'

'I won't disagree with that.' Her smile dropped and she sighed again. 'You don't think he'll believe it, do you?'

Matt shook his head casually. 'Nah. He knows us too well, right?'

'Hmm. I guess so. I'm sorry I came storming in like that. He just stresses me out.'

'You and me both,' replied Matt. 'But don't let him get to you. You can do better anyway.' The sad expression that swept across her face made Matt frown.

'Honestly? I'm not so sure anymore.'

'Huh?'

'I mean, once upon a time, TK was my friend. And if friends can let you down and stab you in the back like he did, then how am I supposed to trust anyone?' She smiled sadly. 'I don't think relationships are my strong point. Maybe he was right. Maybe I ask for it for being such a damn doormat.'

'No. No.' Matt took her hands and Kari stared at them. 'You are _not_ a doormat. You're just too good for the likes of him. I know he's my brother, but fuck! He's an asshole!'

Kari laughed shallowly. 'Maybe I should be more like you, huh.'

'What?'

'No strings, no emotions, right?'

Matt didn't say anything for a moment, slightly surprised and a little disappointed that Kari saw him that way. 'That was a long time ago.'

'Only until you starting dating Sora.'

'That's not… Kari, I was only like that because it was easier. There's no challenge in sleeping with someone then leaving them.'

'Given up on the game, then?'

'The game's boring.'

'Sure.' Kari picked up her keys and bag once more, and stood up. 'I'd better go. Please, just make sure this doesn't reach Tai. He's happy. Happier than I've ever seen him, and I don't want rumours to take that away from him.'

'It won't. Leave TK to me, I'll sort it.'

'Hmm. But no fists, right?'

'Would I ever?' Matt held his hand to his heart dramatically.

'Matt, I lost count of the amount of times you and Tai walked through the door with black eyes because you'd kicked the shit out of each other.' She laughed. 'I've honestly never met anyone else who can fight with someone and be best friends again within the hour.'

'We have a... unique relationship.'

'You're telling me.' She stood in front of him, and leaned down to where he was sitting, planting a soft kiss on his cheek. 'Thank you for sticking up for me. I'll see you tomorrow night, I guess.' she said, and she turned, leaving Matt holding his fingertips to his cheek and watching her as she left his apartment.

He was confused.

He should have been furious when he heard that his brother had been suggesting that something was going on with Kari. He should have gone and searched for him just to tell him that he was wrong. But the truth was, it didn't bother him as much he would have liked it to. He didn't know why. But he had the smallest, most disturbing feeling that it was because it didn't sound like the worst thing in the world to him. And it should have. The thing that stayed on his mind though, was when Kari had voiced her concerns about being a 'doormat'. He'd so badly wanted to make her feel better, but he didn't even know if he had succeeded. The only thing he thought about from that moment was the spark he'd felt when he'd touched her hands, and the feeling that followed. It was a warm sensation, spreading through his body like wildfire, and although he should have been horrified by it, he found himself not wanting to let go. Just so that he could keep that feeling for as long as possible.

He shuddered.

And then he wondered if she had felt it, too.


	5. Chapter 5

**HAPPY ODAIBA MEMORIAL DAY! Today, August 1, 2014, marks _fifteen_ years since the Digidestined first arrived in the Digital World and my gosh, I am feeling hella nostalgic. I've watched countless Digimon episodes today, and I know it's kinda sad, but I almost feel like I could tear up. That's my childhood right there, yo. Those kids inspired me to be brave and loyal. They entertained me when I switched on my TV after school, and I'm not even exaggerating... they taught me what it is to be a true friend. It will forever be my favourite childhood memory.**

**Anyway, I was going to upload this chapter tomorrow, because I usually upload on Saturdays, but to mark the occasion, I'll be posting it today, along with the next chapter of Til We Meet Again. ****Thank you so much for your reviews and messages, it means so much to me, you make me feel all warm and fuzzy :)**

**That's it from me for now, but til next time... One love ;)****  
**

* * *

**CHAPTER FIVE**

She _had_ felt it.

She had stared at her fingers in horror when he had laid his hands on her, completely taken by surprise at the rush of heat that had threatened to raise her heart rate, redden her cheeks, and give away her confusion. And even now, as she lay in bed during the early hours, she just couldn't shake the feeling that something had changed. All she could think about was the fact that TK had never made her feel like that when they had been together. The bond they'd shared was one of comfort, a love that blossomed from the strongest of friendships. Until he lost his way. But this was different. It was a twisting feeling in the pit of her stomach, a nervousness that made her heart race and her breathing quicken, a warm sensation that felt like fire burning in her veins, and an uncertainty that made her feel guilty for it. But on top of it all – despite the fact that she knew nothing could ever come of it – it excited her.

The thing that bothered her most, though, was the suddenness of it all. A few days ; that was all it had taken, all the time she needed to unwillingly change her opinion of her friend and see him for the mature, laid-back, grown man he was now.

'What are you doing?' She asked herself when she caught herself thinking about him for the thousandth time that night. 'It's a crush,' she said quietly. 'It's just a damn crush and it'll go away.'

To take her mind off matters, she sat up. Her clock only read three thirty-five but her head hurt slightly and she got up to get a glass of water and hunt for painkillers in her mother's bottomless medicine drawer. She treaded carefully along the hallway, being careful not to wake her parents and noticing that Tai's bedroom light was still on. Shuddering at the thought of what was going on behind his door, she quickened her pace and padded into the kitchen. Her hand shook slightly as she poured herself some water and sat down, wincing as she swallowed the pills and drumming her fingers quietly on the table, trying to think of anything _but _man who was possibly the source of her insomnia and headache.

'Can't sleep?'

'Jesus, Tai!' Kari jumped backwards, falling off her seat and spilling water on herself as her brother caught her. He propped her back up on the stool and slammed a hand over his mouth, trying to quieten his laughter, and put his other hand on her shoulder for support. Kari glared at her brother, holding out her pink nightdress to show him the wet stain. 'Look at what you've done now.' Her sour mood didn't stick around for long though. She watched her brother. She looked at his messy hair, dishevelled appearance, and blue t-shirt. She noticed the way he held his hand over his mouth and heard his childish giggles. She saw the mischievous glint as his brown eyes shone with amusement in the dark. The only thing missing, she thought, was a pair of goggles. Because as she watched him - laughing at her misfortune – she caught a glimpse of who he once was. Tai, the leader of the original Eight. Brave, fun, happy-go-lucky, twelve year old Tai. She took note of his present appearance. He was taller - obviously - with broader shoulders and a sharper jawline, and the tiniest smattering of dark facial hair. He hadn't changed all that much personality-wise, but he'd… grown. A realisation struck her. _They'd all grown_. Suddenly it didn't matter as much to Kari that she found Matt so attractive. Any nineteen year old girl in her situation would. Mimi called him a hottie (albeit quietly), Yolei had practically drooled over him, and Sora had _dated _him. It was perfectly normal for Kari to be a little enticed by an obviously attractive man. That he was a friend didn't matter. She'd had other friends she thought were good looking. Izzy was quite a looker, and Davis wasn't exactly grotesque. Her attraction to Matt was exactly the same. That wasn't a big deal. At least, that's what she told herself as she came back to her senses and noticed that Tai had stopped laughing.

'Kari? You alright?' Kari squinted in the dark and saw that he had a frown on his face and his voice was filled with concern.

'Yes,' she said, blinking hard. 'I'm fine. And no, I couldn't sleep.'

'Hmm.' Tai sat down next to her casually and propped his elbows on the table, running his hands through his hair and groaning quietly. 'Me neither.'

'How come?'

He looked at her, as if debating whether or not to tell her what was on his mind, and sighed. 'It's Mimi.'

'What about her? Is she ok?'

'Yeah, she's fine. At least, I think she is. But she's acting… odd.'

'What do you mean?'

'She came in tonight, told me about her night and then we went to bed and watched a film.'

Kari smirked, deciding it best to not mention the incident with TK. 'So…?'

'So I don't get it, Kar. One minute we were ok, the next she's getting all stroppy and storming out. I don't know what's gotten into that woman, I really don't.'

'Probably PMSing,' Kari suggested dismissively.

'No,' said Tai. 'It's more than that.' He was quiet for a while, then shook his head. 'So why can't you sleep?'

'I, uh…' Kari trailed off as she noticed her brother glaring at the packet of painkillers on the table.

He raised an eyebrow and looked at her suspiciously. 'Kari?'

'It's just a headache, Tai.'

'Kari.'

The younger sibling shut her eyes in frustration. 'Oh my god, will you let it go? You get headaches, Mimi gets headaches, everyone gets fucking headaches!'

'Shh!' Tai swatted his hand near her, urging her to lower her voice and glancing over to the hallway, where the light to his parents' bedroom remained off. 'Language!'

'Alright, I'm sorry!' she whispered through gritted teeth. She sighed and looked at him apologetically. 'I'm sorry. I know you worry.'

'With good reason.'

'Yeah, yeah. But please Tai, you've got to believe me. It's _just _a headache, I feel fine.'

'You'll come to me if you don't?'

'Yes.'

'Promise?'

Kari groaned. 'Tai-'

'Promise me, Kari!'

'Alright, alright! I promise.'

'Good. Now get yourself back to bed. Or you'll be spending this evening's ball asleep in the bathroom at this rate.'

'Alright.' Kari stood up and leaned down to kiss her big brother on the cheek. 'Don't worry about me, Tai. I'll be fine. And so will you. Night.'

Tai smiled unconvincingly. 'Ok. Night, sis.'

* * *

Matt looked in the mirror and raised his chin slightly with a small smirk as he fastened his cufflinks. He looked good, he knew it. But then, he always was a little over-confident about his undeniably good looks. With good reason, too. He was tall and slim, but slightly muscular, with broad shoulders and strong arms. His messy, dark blonde hair contrasted with his piercing blue eyes, and he had a strong, sharp jawline, as the girls had pointed out just a few days before. It wasn't just his appearance that had girls breaking their necks to get his attention, though. It was also his demeanour, the way he conducted himself. He was laid-back, cool and carefree. He had a reputation as a man who was hard to keep and impossible to tame, and the majority of his female fan base had become both shocked and excruciatingly jealous when Sora Takenouchi had appeared to succeed.

One thing he wasn't too pleased about, however, was the slight hint of fatigue in his usually bright eyes. He hadn't slept much the previous night, kept awake by disturbing thoughts of a certain Kamiya. It was ok though. It was temporary, like any other girl he had shown an interest in, he told himself. He tilted his head towards the door, keeping his eyes on his reflection.

'TK?' he shouted. 'You ready?'

Matt's younger brother appeared in the doorway. 'I've been ready for an hour, it's you who's wasting time being arrogant.'

'Don't get me started on arrogance.'

'Really? You're really going there again?'

'TK, you were bang out of order. I'm not forgetting that in a hurry. Believe me, the only reason I'm being civil with you is because we have to spend the next half hour in the same car.'

'Jeez.' TK smirked. 'Don't sound too excited.'

Matt scowled. 'Keep it up, TK. You'll be looking for your own ride.'

'Alright, whatever. I'm ready when you are.'

'Fine.'

* * *

'Where the hell is Tai?' Sora flitted around her friends, flushed and clearly frustrated by the crowd of people in the hall. She groaned loudly. 'Of course he's late, it's Tai. He's always freaking late.'

'Sora.' Matt approached her and placed a hand on her arm, an amused smile playing on his lips. 'Chill out. He'll be here. He's probably being held up by Mimi, you know what she's like.' He handed her a glass of champagne, and she took it, swallowing it quickly and shoving the glass back into Matt's hand, who raised an eyebrow at it.

She looked at TK, who was staring at her with a smirk. 'What are you smiling at?' she snapped.

The younger blonde said nothing, just shook his head in amusement and turned away.

'Ignore him,' said Matt casually. 'Just relax. He'll be here.'

Sora smoothed out her dress and straightened her mask, shooting a sharp glance at an extravagantly dressed woman who nudged her as she danced with her date. 'Yeah, well. He'd better be, or-'

Before Sora had the chance to voice her threat to her friend, the large entrance doors opened, and in strolled the cocky brunette himself, with his fiancée on his arm. She was wearing a pale pink, floor length gown, and white elbow length gloves. Her eyes were covered by a silver mask with a single white feather. The whole combination of pink, white and silver was so typically Mimi that Matt figured he should have known exactly what she would wear. It was the girl on Tai's other arm that he couldn't take his eyes off, however. She was just a few inches shorter than the man she was with, and her sleek, black-gloved hand held onto the crook of his arm awkwardly, as though she was uncomfortable with the attention that was suddenly on the three new arrivals when they entered the room. She was wearing the most beautiful dress Matt had ever seen (not that he had much experience with dresses), her hair was gathered up with several loose curls falling around her pretty face, and her mask added so much mystery to the girl that he thought he might never take his eyes off her. It was obvious that he wasn't the only one intrigued.

'Is that Tai?' one woman asked quietly.

'Lucky bastard,' a man said.

'His fiancée's _hot,'_ someone pointed out.

'Never mind Mimi, check out the other one. Wait… isn't that Kari?'

It was only when the girl caught Matt's stare and their eyes locked that he realised that he still had his hand on Sora's arm. He moved it away swiftly, feeling awkward and a little uncharacteristically embarrassed that he had been caught staring. In any other circumstances, he would have kept his eyes on her, but she was his best friend's _sister, _and somewhere inside his gut he felt… guilty. He took a deep breath as the trio approached them.

'Ishida, my man!' Tai held out a hand to Matt, and he shook it enthusiastically.

'It's about time, bro,' he grinned. 'I thought Sora was about to explode.'

Tai turned to Sora and smiled. 'I'm sorry, dude.'

The red-haired girl groaned. 'Whatever, you're here now.' She turned on her heel and walked away, mumbling something about finding her colleague.

'Don't worry about her, she's just stressy,' smirked Matt as Tai frowned. He turned to Mimi and Kari. 'Looking good, ladies.'

Mimi smiled confidently. 'Not too shabby yourself, Ishida.'

'Alright,' interrupted Tai. 'No flirting with my wife-to-be.'

Matt chuckled to himself and looked at the other girl. 'Kari? You ok?'

'Yeah,' she replied. 'I'm good.' She had an expression on her face that he just couldn't figure out, and he frowned in confusion as she let go of her brother's arm and turned away. 'I'm gonna go find Yolei.'

'Alright, sis. Be good,' said Tai.

Kari looked over her shoulder and smiled mischievously at him. 'Always am, aren't I?'

Unbeknownst to Matt, while they had been talking, another friend had appeared beside them.

'What's with her?' asked Izzy.

'Beats me,' replied Tai. His confusion disappeared and a grin appeared on his face. 'Anyway, guys… we have something important to tell you later.'

'Sounds dangerous,' said Matt. He smiled at Tai's sarcastic expression and leaned closer to him. 'I'm just gonna go find Kari. You know, see what's up with her.'

'Alright,' said Tai with a raised eyebrow. 'Be good.'

Matt glanced over his shoulder in a similar way the younger girl had. 'Never am, am I?'

* * *

Kari sat at one of the tables at the other end of the hall, fiddling with the delicate white and gold lace table cloth. She was uncomfortable since the large skirts of her dress barely allowed her to sit properly, but she didn't feel like standing, much less dancing, as a young man had just asked her to. She watched her parents across the room dancing, her father placing his hand on her mother's back and grasping her hand with his free one. Kari smiled. They were so lucky to still be so obviously in love after all these years. She doubted she'd ever have that. She couldn't even keep someone she thought was the most loyal person she'd ever met. How could she possibly make a man happy if she couldn't even keep her best friend-turned-boyfriend contented? She suddenly realised that she probably never really knew him at all, and it only made her insecurities about the matter worse. She turned her attention to her brother and their friends, and remembered the moment her eyes had locked with Matt's as she entered the room. She'd felt her stomach drop the moment she saw his hand on his ex-girlfriend's arm, with the sinking feeling that he still had feelings for her. The way he'd looked at her, and the way he'd dropped his hand like it had been burned when he realised she had looked at him. It made her feel uneasy, a little jealous even, and she did not like it one bit. She had no right to feel jealous – he wasn't hers to be possessive of, nor would he ever be. She let out a quiet laugh, ironically amused that she even felt that way. She hadn't been like this a few days ago. A few days ago, Matt was just Matt, a friend welcoming her home from college. She found it hard to believe that things had changed so rapidly.

_But they haven't, _a voice in her head told her. _He still sees you as just his best friend's sister. You're the one being weird._

She shook her head, regretting it when her head began to throb again. 'Pull yourself together, Kamiya,' she said quietly. Her attention was turned to someone approaching her, and she groaned inwardly. _Seriously?_

'Kari.'

'Matt.' She barely looked at him, instead glancing back to her parents.

'Are you ok?'

She clenched her teeth as he sat down next to her, facing her and giving her no other option than to look at him. 'I'm fine.'

He stared at her for a moment, making her feel slightly flushed and uncomfortable, and she blew air up into her face to cool herself. 'No, you're not.'

'Then why did you ask?'

'What's the matter, Kar?' he asked simply, not taking his eyes off her.

'I told you, I'm fine. Now if you'll excuse me, I need some air.' She made to stand, but dizziness shrouded her mind and she grabbed the table for support. She felt an arm wrap itself around her waist as she reluctantly leaned on it.

'Come on, let's get you outside. Before your brother sees you and bundles you into an ambulance.'

'A little dramatic.'

'Not really, you know how he is. Come on.'

Outside, Kari took a deep breath, appreciating the steady stream of cool evening air flowing into her lungs. She looked at Matt apologetically. 'I'm sorry if I seemed a little bitchy in there,' she said. 'I think it's just one of those days.'

Matt seemed unconvinced. 'Kari, if you're not feeling well, you should tell Tai. Or your parents.'

'I'm ok,' she said dismissively. 'Like I said. Just needed some air. Probably a bit… overwhelmed by everyone.'

'It _has_ been a busy few days,' he admitted. There was a silence, and as Kari looked at Matt's face, she panicked. He looked as though he was about to say something, and in her mind it was confirmed as he began to move closer to her. 'You look beautiful, by the way.'

She smiled shyly and blushed. 'Thank you.'

'Kari, about last night-'

'-Don't,' she said. She didn't know what he was going to say, but she didn't want to hear it. If it was anything to do with what had kept her awake all night, then she didn't want to know whether or not he felt it too. She didn't need the disappointment. Or the complication. She tilted her head back slightly to look up at him. He was standing very close to her, and a small frown graced his forehead, his eyes burning into her. He looked just as confused as she felt, and although she felt bad for thinking it, it gave her a little comfort. Her breathing quickened as she felt a slight pressure on her fingers.

_He'd grabbed her hand. _

The silence became too much for her, and she needed to say something. Anything.

'Mimi says she has news for us,' she blurted.

'So I hear. I think they're going to tell us later.' He didn't let go of her hand, holding it at her side gently. She didn't want him to be holding it, it only made her confusion worse. Her mind was telling her to back off, but her body wouldn't listen. She lightly curled her fingers around his. He gave her a small smile in response. 'Do you know what it is?' he asked.

'I think I can guess.'

'Me too.'

Kari felt heat rush into her face and she pulled her hand out of Matt's, fanning herself rapidly. 'Did it just get really hot?' she asked, breathing heavily.

Matt raised a blonde eyebrow. 'You're new to this, aren't you?' he smirked cockily.

'No, Matt-'

'I'LL FUCKING KILL YOU!' A furious voice followed by a crash caused the pair to glance back into the hall. Kari winced. She knew that voice anywhere.

'Oh no,' she said quietly. They went back inside to see what had gotten the angry man so riled up, and Kari gasped. Tai had TK pinned up against the wall with his arm over the younger man's neck threateningly.

'YOU DARE TALK SHIT ABOUT _MY _SISTER?'

Mimi rushed to his side and tried to pry his arm away from TK's throat. 'Tai, please. Calm down, baby.'

'Back off, Meems.'

Mimi stood still, completely helpless as Tai pressed his arm down a little, causing TK's breathing to be slightly restricted.

Matt stared for a moment at his best friend and his younger brother. He felt loyalty towards Tai. He was just standing up for his sister, in the way Matt himself should have done when TK disrespected her. But despite understanding Tai's fury, he couldn't stand by and watch his flesh and blood get hurt. He stormed over to the pair of them and grabbed Tai by the shirt, throwing him off TK.

He looked at Tai, who was standing no more than a metre away, breathing through gritted teeth, his jaw tense. 'What the FUCK do you think you're doing?' he roared.

'Putting your prick of a brother in his fucking place,' hissed Tai.

The music in the hall had stopped, and people were gathering to see the drama unfolding in front of them. Kari edged closer to them, slowly pushing past some of the guests. It was… quiet. _Why is it quiet? _She thought to herself. She saw her brother shouting aggressively. She saw TK smirking. She saw Mimi begging Tai to calm down. She saw Sora pointing at the door and telling the fighting men to go home, and she saw Matt hissing at Tai in defense of his brother. But she didn't hear any of it. As she sluggishly looked around, everything appeared to be happening in slow motion and silence, and she frowned. She opened her mouth to speak, but she could barely even hear her own voice.

'Seriously, I'm really hot,' she mumbled.

She felt her knees give way beneath her weight, and the room tipped on its side gradually, as if it were a dramatic scene in a movie. She watched people turn to stare, and heard the muffled cries of her name as she saw only the legs of Tai and Matt run towards her in slow motion.

She felt a pair of strong arms sit her upright on the floor.

And then she fell into them as the world faded into blackness.


	6. Chapter 6

**Sorry it's a little late, guys. It's been a busy week. I've been a little stressy, so it's been difficult to find time to write much. Also, to anyone reading _Til We Meet Again, _I'm gonna be putting it on hold for a while, I think. It's so much easier for me to work on one story at a time and I fell into the trap of trying to keep up with like four, two of which are on this site. It shouldn't be too long, I don't think, but while I'm thinking about this story, I'm finding it more and more difficult to concentrate on that one. My character development seems to be suffering as a result :( I'm so sorry, I'm a terrible person, I know. I feel very very very very bad, please don't hate me!**

**On a positive note, Adventure 03 is happening! Or at least, something along those lines. A whole new series with a seventeen year old Tai. I hope the other original characters are a part of it, but either, way... I am excited. Like, so excited. I've spent the past couple of weeks feeling like a child, because let's face it: Both Digimon Adventure and 02 were huge parts of my childhood, and I am very, very happy that we're going to see more of it. _Ohhhh, the nostalgia._  
**

**Which reminds me, I really wanted to ask you guys... Sub or Dub? I like both, but I have to admit, I was introduced to the English dub as a child, and grew up with it. It was the dub I fell in love with before I watched the sub (and I'm so glad I did... I'd recommend it to anyone who hasn't yet seen the sub). So yeah... I kinda lean towards the English dubbed version a little, purely for the fond memories. Tell me what you think!  
**

**Anyway, back to this story. I hope you enjoy this chapter. Thanks so much for your reviews and messages. I know I say it a lot, but I really do appreciate you guys.**

* * *

**CHAPTER SIX**

_He watched her carefully, saw the rise and fall of her chest as her breaths came in quick, shallow bouts, and moved her hair away from her damp forehead. The Children were trying their best to remain optimistic – smiling, keeping busy and reassuring each other - but the atmosphere was tense; they were all silently frightened for the health of little Kari, and Matt knew it. On top of the concern for their absent leader, alone in the huge Digital World, the tension was excruciating. The sound of someone clearing their throat caught Matt's attention, and Joe approached him slowly. He was an awkward boy – tall and lanky, with fine dark hair and square glasses, which were coated in a thick layer of dust. Matt found himself wondering if he could actually see out of them, and realised that if the situation weren't so dismal, he probably would have laughed at the poor boy's comedic appearance._

'_Here.' Joe handed him a cool damp cloth, and Matt gratefully took it, folding it and placing it gently over the young girl's forehead. He looked up at Joe._

'_Thanks,' he said, forcing a small, unconvincing smile. A sharp cough erupted from Kari's mouth, followed by the unpleasant sound of rattling in her chest, drawing the boys' attention to her. Her eyes remained closed, though Matt could see them moving rapidly under her eyelids and he wondered if she was waking up or dreaming._

'_Probably some kind of flu… you sure you wanna be that close to her?' Joe asked, and Matt turned to see that he had edged away, probably when Kari had coughed. Joe waved his hands in the girl's direction. 'Because, you know… germs and stuff…'_

_This time, Matt did laugh, despite the circumstances. 'Drama queen.'_

'_You won't be saying that when _you're_ dying.'_

'_She isn't dying, Joe,' Matt hissed, suddenly annoyed at his friend's panic. He moved a stray hair from Kari's face and relaxed, taking a deep breath to stop himself from punching Joe. 'Besides,' he smirked in false confidence, 'I never get sick.'_

'_Uh-oh,' a small voice said, and Matt immediately turned his attention back to the source. 'You've just tempted fate.' Kari's eyes fluttered open, and the corners of her lips twitched into a tiny smile, so discreet that it could have easily been missed. 'Am I really dying, Joe?'_

_Matt glared at him with a 'look at what you've done now' expression and Joe scratched the back of his head and smiled nervously._

'_Uh… no… of course not… why would you think that?'_

_Kari replied quickly. 'Because you said it.'_

'_Oh… uh… I was exaggerating… you know how I am… I'm, erm… I'm just gonna… go.' And with that, Joe turned on his heel and took his leave._

_Matt looked at Kari and offered a reassuring smile. 'You're not dying, Kar.'_

'_I know. I just love it when he's uncomfortable.' She giggled quietly, and Matt felt he could have cried at the sound. It was so…strained, and it sounded as though she struggled with it. She followed it up with several sharp coughs and relaxed again. 'He's so silly,' she whispered._

_Another coughing fit erupted from her lungs, and she began to cry. Matt sat her up carefully, rubbing her back as she fought to gasp for air, gripping his free hand so tightly that he was surprised such a small, sick girl had such strength. Eventually, she quietened and closed her eyes wearily as Matt dabbed at her face with the cloth._

'_Here,' he said, handing her a bottle of water. He watched as she drank it slowly, feeling his heart clench with sympathy for the poor girl, who looked like she was in pain with every swallow of the drink. She handed it back to him and sighed wheezily. _

'_Thank you,' she said. 'For taking care of me.'_

_Matt waved her statement off casually. 'Your brother told me to.'_

'_I know. But you would have even if he hadn't,' she said simply. Matt stared at her, struck dumb by her insight. Kari was a smart girl. She knew him well. She knew them all well. There was no point in putting on the cool, care-free act in front of this girl, because she saw right through it. _

_He sighed sarcastically. 'Well there goes my reputation,' he said with a grin._

* * *

_Kari was right. He _did _get sick. But it was ok. She was soon on her way back to health, under his guidance. He'd kept his promise to Tai, and that was all that mattered._

* * *

Matt sat in the darkness of his kitchen, one hand over his mouth, the other drumming his fingers on the table, a deep frown etched into his forehead. He went over the evening's events in his head over and over again, and he stood quickly, pacing the length of the kitchen rapidly as though it might cleanse him of the concern. The apartment seemed emptier than it ever had, and the only sounds were those of his footsteps and the clock ticking loudly. He couldn't get the image of her in that dress out of his head. The moment she had walked through the door on her brother's arm, he had been stripped of his ability to think straight. In his eyes, she had been the most beautiful girl in the room by far, and as he looked at her dress, pulling her in in all the right places and making her appear almost regal, he knew that she was the most beautiful girl he had ever laid eyes on. It had taken him so long to see it. And she'd never get the chance to know, because he'd left her to faint and she probably wouldn't want to talk to him and wouldn't trust him to take care of her, and… and…

More overly dramatic thoughts continued to swim in his mind, and guilt began to course through his veins, feelings of blame plaguing him. Of course, it was no one's fault that Kari had suddenly fallen sick, but he had left her to collapse and it had slowly dawned on him that he hadn't understood when she asked if it had become hot. He should have listened, he should have stayed with her, and because he didn't, he couldn't have been angrier with himself if he tried. He looked at his hand and curled it into a tight fist. The memory of her fingers curling around his was still fresh in his mind and he was almost sure he could still feel her warmth. _Maybe I did this, _he thought. _Maybe I confused her, stressed her out._ The idea that he could have been partly responsible for the girl's sudden deterioration made him feel sick. So sick in fact that he had to lean on the table and almost didn't realise that his phone had started to ring. He reached for it clumsily and stared at the screen. When he saw the name flash he answered it so quickly that he almost dropped it.

'Tai?'

Tai's voice sounded hollow. 'I don't want to fight,' he said simply. 'And I know it's late, but… she's asking for you.'

Matt swallowed. 'I'll be right over.'

Grabbing his coat and keys, he headed to the hallway, calling to the room he had practically grounded TK to as though he was a child. Whatever. His house, his rules.

'TK! I'm going out, try to stay out of trouble!'

'Whatever,' came the reply, and Matt rolled his eyes.

The short drive to the Kamiya residence was pretty uneventful. Matt spent the time trying to maintain a reasonable speed despite his concern, and wondering what Tai was going to say to him when he arrived. He didn't want to fight with him; he was only standing up for his brother, the way Tai stood up for Kari. But then of course, petty arguments would be the last thing on the older Kamiya's mind, what with his sister falling sick. Matt briefly wondered if Tai was also experiencing feelings of guilt, since it wasn't unheard of for him to blame himself for other people's misfortunes. Especially Kari's.

_Kari. _

His frowned deepened. Kari had asked for him. Why? Was she going to blame him too? Was she going to chastise him for being so forward when he had reached for her hand? Had he acted inappropriately? Shaking his head, he focussed on the road and making it to Tai's alive and in one piece, all the while attempting to block the nagging little thoughts that disturbed him so much. _She'll be ok, _he told himself. _And she won't be mad at me. She can't be._

* * *

In any normal circumstance, Matt would have walked right into the apartment, greeted Mr and Mrs Kamiya and made himself comfortable as he waited for his friend. As it happened, this wasn't under normal circumstances and Matt hesitated for a moment, before lifting his hand and knocking politely. When he heard the click of the front door as it opened, he half expected to see a distraught Tai on the other side of it, openly panicking about his sister's health. He didn't.

'Mimi.'

'You knocked.'

'Yeah.' Matt scratched his heard nervously. 'Didn't think Tai would be in the best of moods with me after, you know. Tonight.'

Mimi sighed. She was still wearing her pink gown, and she brushed her hands over it to straighten the skirt. 'Don't worry about it. I think he feels pretty bad about it himself. And so he should, that damn bull-headedness is gonna get him in trouble one day.' She ran a hand through her loose wavy hair and stepped aside. 'Come through,' she said. 'Kari's awake.'

'She ok?' Matt asked as he stepped past.

Mimi shut the door quietly. 'Yeah, we had a doctor out to see her. Looks like flu. Might not seem like much, but since her immune system's shit, gotta keep an eye on her and all.'

'I see. Good. Where are the in-laws?'

'Bed. I think the drama wore them out,' replied Mimi with a small smile. 'You know how these oldies get.'

Matt smirked. 'I dare you to say that _to _them.'

She chuckled quietly and placed a hand over her heart. 'Wouldn't dream of it.'

'Mimi?'

'Hmm?'

Matt put his hands in his pockets anxiously and followed Mimi into the living room. 'Did Kari say anything? Like… when she asked for me.'

The pink haired woman put a finger on her chin as she thought carefully, and then shook her head. 'No, I don't think so,' she said finally. 'Why?'

'I was feeling a little guilty for leaving her to faint, that's all. Just wondering if she's mad at me for it.'

Now, Matt couldn't deny it, he loved Mimi's smile. It was bright and pretty and lit up her entire face. There wasn't a single person on the planet who didn't smile when Mimi flashed her pearly whites. It was contagious. But the smile on her face at that moment didn't constitute that feeling of shared joy. It scared him. It was an odd expression, a raised eyebrow, a small smirk, a mischievous glint in her eye. It was a knowing look.

'Hmm,' she mumbled through her smile. Her lips parted and she cocked her head to the side, grinning brilliantly. 'Now that's just not it, is it, Mr Ishida?'

Matt opened his mouth to speak, but found no words. An awkward moment passed until he cleared his throat and began to force speech. 'What are you going on about, Meems?'

'You tell me.'

'Well that's kinda difficult, considering we're obviously not on the same page.'

Mimi chuckled. 'Oh I think we are, sweetie.' She got up and gestured for him to follow her with a 'come hither' motion using her finger. 'Kari's waiting.'

Matt followed her reluctantly, his eyes wide and his brow burrowed. _She knows about my crush,_ he thought. He shuddered at the childish word, and looked at the back of Mimi's very bright hair. _She fucking knows._

* * *

Kari lay as still as she could – which was difficult considering she couldn't stop shivering – while Tai shoved a thermometer into her mouth and dabbed at her forehead with a cloth. She smiled weakly. He was a real mother hen when he wanted to be, and while she sometimes found his over-protectiveness to be irritating, she appreciated it at times like this.

'Tai,' she mumbled, wincing as the white stick almost fell from her mouth. 'You really don't have to do this. I'm ok.'

'No, you're not though, are you?' Tai almost hissed, sounding slightly irked. 'I asked you what the matter was when you got up last night and you lied to me.' His annoyed tone worried her a little. Was she finally becoming the burden TK told her she was? Tai must have caught the sudden sadness in her eyes and his expression softened. 'I'm sorry, sis,' he said quietly. 'I'm not mad at you.'

'Then who are you mad at?'

'Me.' She frowned in confusion and he elaborated as he removed the thermometer from under her tongue and checked it. 'I was too busy getting up in TK's face to notice that you getting sicker. It's never 'just a headache' with you, is it? And I was stupid to believe that it was.'

'I honestly didn't feel so bad then,' she mumbled. 'To be fair, I didn't even feel that bad when I got there. It was all kinda sudden. But I'm sorry. I don't mean to worry you.'

'Don't be sorry,' Tai sighed. 'It's not your fault.' Two figures appeared at the doorway of the darkened room, and the siblings looked up. Tai put his hands on his knees and pushed himself to a standing position next to Kari's bed. 'Ishida.'

Matt nodded at him and glanced at the younger girl. 'You wanted to see me?'

Kari gave a feeble smile. 'Just thought it would be nice to have some company that isn't constantly fussing over me,' she mumbled weakly, shooting a fond glance at her brother, who ruffled her hair as lightly as he could so as to avoid making her headache worse. She rolled her eyes and instantly regretted it when pain shot through her forehead, then looked at Matt. 'You're immune, right?'

'Uh… yeah.'

At this, Tai hurried over to the door. 'Mimi, come to the kitchen, I'll make you a drink.'

Mimi snorted. 'Stop fretting. I'm all vaccinated up,' she said simply.

'I don't care. Kitchen, now. _Please.'_ He gritted his teeth, and Kari wondered for a moment why he was so keen to keep his fiancée away from her when she was just as immune as Matt.

Mimi crossed her arms. 'Urgh, you are so bossy, Mr Kamiya.'

'I'm only looking after you, baby.'

Kari pretended to gag, and Mimi smiled. 'Fine. If it'll make you happy.'

'It will. Now go!' Tai grinned and gestured for Mimi to leave.

'Yes sir,' she said brightly, and the couple left the room, leaving Matt and Kari alone.

'Wow,' whistled Matt. 'He actually let a man into your room.'

Kari giggled quietly and winced at the pain, holding a hand to her head and groaning at the dull ache emanating from her joints. 'He trusts you.'

'Yeah.'

'He probably shouldn't though.' Matt stared at Kari, his brow furrowed into a deep, confused frown. She smiled at his expression. 'I'm joking, Matt. You know… joke… ha ha.'

'Oh.' _Unbearable silence. Quick, Matt, say something. _'I'm really glad you're-'

'-Not dead? Yeah, me too.' She smiled unconvincingly.

Matt snorted. 'I was _going _to say… I'm really glad you're ok.'

'Thanks. You look awkward as hell, sit down,' she said, gesturing to the office chair Tai had been sitting on.

Matt smirked as he obeyed her command, sitting down and stretching his long legs out in front of him. 'You're as bossy as your brother, you know that?'

'It's an unfortunate Kamiya trait,' said Kari quietly.

There was a short moment of quiet, the silence broken only by the whispered chattering of Tai and Mimi down the hall._ I wonder what they're talking about, _Kari thought to herself.

'So…' Matt's voice bought her out of her curiosity. 'How _do_ you feel?'

She looked terrible, she knew that. She hadn't wiped that evening's makeup off, so mascara was smeared under her eyes, her hair was damp, she was sweating and shivering. She'd thrown up earlier and her face was pale with a tinge of green, and she could barely open her eyes without feeling like they were being stabbed, so she had a permanent squint. The fact that Matt had actually asked her how she was feeling would have been laughable had she not felt so damn wretched, because the truth was, she felt exactly how she looked.

'Well since I've had pneumonia before and my immune system is about as strong as a blade of grass, the doctor has antibiotics on standby, you know… just in case, and I'm all topped up with painkillers, but honestly? When I move my eyeballs I feel like my retinas are burning, my arms and legs hurt and won't keep still, and my head's this close to exploding.' She held out her finger and thumb to demonstrate. 'I feel like a recovering smack addict,' she said, her weak condition masked slightly by her humour.

'Speaking from personal experience, I'd say that's a little over-dramatic.'

'Personal experience? Are you trying to tell me something, Ishida?'

Matt chuckled. 'Oh, no, no, no. Remember Lee?'

_Oh, Lee. _Lee Tanaka was a close friend of Matt's and a member of The Wolves for a short while, until fans started to become suspicious about his erratic behaviour and permanently bedraggled appearance. Everyone assumed he had left the band due to some kind of mental health issue. Kari remembered him well. But obviously not well enough.

'Lee? You're shitting me.'

'I shit you not.'

'GUYS!' Tai's voice was loud, and Kari winced. 'Language!'

'Ouch,' said Kari, putting her arm over her head.

'Oops,' Matt whispered. He lowered his voice further. 'Seriously, how does he do that?'

'I hear everything!' Tai called from the kitchen. Matt and Kari shared a look of amused shock.

'What the fuck?' Matt mouthed, before the pair burst into fits of quiet giggles.

'Oh, god, stop,' breathed Kari. 'It actually hurts.'

'Alright, I'm sorry.' They quietened, and Kari struggled to sit up. Matt offered her his hand and she gratefully took it, feeling the warmth of his other hand on her back. Her breathing hitched, surprising since it was already pretty rapid anyway, and she revelled in the sensation. But she was sick. She was probably delusional. Right?

'Anyway,' Matt continued as he handed her the glass of water Tai had left on the desk, 'he hadn't even been using for that long, and he was a _mess_. Asked us to help him after a while. Never seen anything like it. He'd cry at this pain in his legs, we'd hold him down while he begged us to let him get more smack, he just wanted out of the misery, I guess. He hurt all over, and one time he said he felt like his skin was peeling off or something. He'd yawn, like, every damn minute, and his eyes would water all the time, so we were never sure if he was crying or not. He did that a lot. Cried. It was weird, almost like watching someone grieve. Or like taking care of a grown-ass child. A really, really sick grown-ass child. We took it in turns to stay with him for _weeks. _It felt like a lifetime, and I hope I never have to see anyone go through that again. Heroin really is the ugliest thing in existence, Kar. Damn, that's a talk I'd like to give to every messed up kid in the world. That's what Lee does now. Gives talks to teenagers in schools about the disgusting stuff.'

It took Kari a moment to realise that Matt had stopped talking. The entire time words had been spilling out of his mouth, she'd been staring at him in awe, feeling more and more hypnotised by him the more he spoke of caring for his friend. He was good at that. Taking care of his friends. His voice was deep and filled with anxiety, his blue eyes dark with memories, and Kari barely wanted to think about the things those eyes had seen. _Imagine watching your friend go through that much pain and not being able to stop it._ She shuddered. It wasn't worth thinking about, and she silently thanked the heavens that her friends were healthy and happy. Even if she felt like she was dying. _People have been through worse, _she thought.

As if reading her mind, Matt smirked. 'At least you didn't bring this on yourself,' he said. 'You're not stupid enough to go near that stuff.'

'I guess,' she said quietly.

She smiled at him as she leaned with her back against the wall, wincing at sensation of cool plaster as it touched her skin. Mimi had helped her out of her heavy black dress and into her pyjamas - a pale yellow t-shirt and pink shorts - and just the feel of air swirling around her skin from the fan in the corner of her room gave her sensitised skin an uncomfortable tingle as though everything that touched her burned her. The memory of Matt reaching for her hand just a few hours before suddenly and unexpectedly drifted into her mind, and she closed her fist, as if she might be able to feel an echo of the odd sensation. The subtle movement caught his eye, and he immediately recognised it as the same thing he did before he saw her. Before he knew that she was ok. When he was thinking about the feel of her fingers against his. He briefly wondered if she had formed a fist for the same reason, before his suspicions were confirmed.

'You held my hand,' she whispered.

Matt stared at her, and he was sure that if he had been any more shocked, his mouth would have hung open. She _had _been thinking about it. He desperately wanted to say something nice, something that would hint at his new-found feelings without being too inappropriate and scaring her off, something that would make her feel happy.

'Yeah, well. You didn't look too good. Thought you needed a bit of support.' His eyes widened at his involuntary outburst, and he was amazed that something had come from him so naturally, so effortlessly, that he hadn't even known he'd said the words until they had already been spoken. Was it a defense mechanism? Something his mind told him to do before he had the chance to say something stupid? _What the fuck was wrong with him?_

'I see,' the girl said, and Matt was convinced he saw something flash in her eyes. _What was that? Disappointment?_ _Annoyance? _Whatever it was, it didn't look like relief. This was of some comfort to Matt as he looked away and stared at his feet in front of him. Maybe she didn't mind the idea that he had done it out of affection? He suddenly felt bad for her. The poor girl would stand no chance with him. He'd spent a life blocked off from women, being careful to avoid falling for them, telling them things they wanted to hear so that he could get what he wanted from them. Never allowing himself to express feelings or emotions towards them. The idea of commitment terrified him, it always had. He didn't know what it was about Kari that made him feel so relaxed, so _content, _but whenever he was with her – or even thinking about her – that fear seemed to dissolve. So much so that it was almost like it never existed. The denial of any feelings towards her was simply habit, something that he honestly couldn't help, something he had gotten so used to that it was second nature to him. _If _she felt anything towards him, she was going to have a hard time getting anything out of him, and he felt bad about it. It wasn't just his natural reaction that put him off, though. It was his loyalty. This was his best friend's sister, for crying out loud. She was off limits. Out of bounds. But oh, how he loved fruit. Especially the forbidden kind.

'Oh god.' Kari's voice was quiet, almost a squeak and barely audible.

'What, what is it?' Matt's eyes landed on Kari's face again, which had gone even paler in the light from the hallway, and she had a hand over her mouth. He moved as she shakily manoeuvred herself off the bed and staggered to the bathroom opposite her room before dropping her head over the toilet and brutally emptying her stomach's contents into it. He stood still, not knowing what to do. He didn't want to see that. He doubted she'd want him to see it, either. But she was shaking violently, and her legs looked like they weren't going to hold her up for much longer, and what if she fainted again? Matt sighed as his caring side won the debate, and he approached her, placing a hand on her back and holding her hair as he was reminded of the time he did it as a child. The nausea finally ceased, and she dropped to a sitting position, slouching against the toilet. Matt gave her a sympathetic look and moved her hair out of her eyes.

'Thank you,' she said.

'It's no problem,' he replied. And then he did something he couldn't explain. Something he didn't even understand. He planted a soft kiss on her head. He retreated pretty quickly, afraid that she would flip out and accuse him of taking advantage of her, or shout for Tai or something. She didn't. She simply smiled at him, her jaw tense, her teeth almost chattering and her body involuntarily shivering. 'Are you feeling a little better?'

She nodded for a moment, but Matt panicked when she began to shake her head instead, and he saw it as his cue to pull back her hair once more as she threw herself over the toilet again. He watched her and felt sympathy and compassion squeeze at him.

'It'll be ok, Kar. It'll be better soon.'

As he gently rubbed her back and held her hair away from her face, neither of them noticed someone standing behind them until a voice screeched and made them jump.

'Move!'

Matt stared at her in her panicked state. 'Somehow I don't think that's possible right now, Meems,' he said sarcastically.

'Ohhhh god, why now? WHY ME?!' Mimi shrieked, and she threw her own head over the sink and heaved her dinner into it.

Matt looked at the sink, and then back at her disgustedly. 'Mimi. Seriously? The sink?'

'Oh, I'm sorry, but in case you hadn't noticed, the toilet is occupied and I didn't have much of a choice.' She sat down and leaned on the bath, breathing rapidly, her skirt billowing out on the tiled floor. 'Wow, that was intense.'

Matt smirked. 'Idiot,' he said amusedly.

Kari looked up at her, wondering if she had shared her germs with Mimi despite her being immune. 'You too?'

'No, sweetie. Not me.'

'What?' Kari gestured to the sink and what Mimi had just done in it. 'Then why-'

'Well we were going to tell you earlier, but that plan kinda went down the pan, huh. So I might as well 'fess up now.' She smiled ironically at Matt and Kari's frowns, and poked at her own sickly pale cheek. 'This,' she said, her voice dripping with sarcasm, 'is the glowing complexion of a woman with horrific morning sickness. Congrats, Kari. You're gonna be an auntie.'

'You're pregnant? Are you serious?' Matt stared at her, expecting her to tell him it was some sort of joke. She didn't. Instead she launched herself at the sink once more.

'Deadly,' she said when she'd finished and come up for air, turning on the taps and sinking back to the floor.

Kari sat back down, leaning against Matt for support. Neither of them would have admitted it, but despite the circumstances, it felt nice. They stayed in that position as Kari began to ask questions.

'How far along?'

'Early. Very early. But I'll start to show soon, so I thought it would be best to tell you before people started to think I was just getting fat.' She laughed in spite of herself.

'Why will you be showing soon if you're so early?'

'Well that, dearest sister-in-law, was part of the surprise.'

Matt frowned before his eyes widened in realisation. 'Oh god,' he said. 'There's more than one, isn't there?'

'You talk about them like they're a threat,' a cheerful voice said. The three looked at the doorway to see Tai leaning on it cockily, smirking at them in their odd positions on the bathroom floor.

'They're our babies,' he smiled, sitting on the side of the bathtub and stroking Mimi's colourful hair affectionately as his sister grinned at him despite her pain. 'My twins.'


	7. Chapter 7

**Guys... I'm sorry it's taken me a little longer to update than usual. Thank you so much for waiting so patiently, and as a token of my appreciation, I've written you an extra long chapter... well, longer than usual, anyway. It's mostly a filler, kind of setting the scene for the next chapter, but I hope you enjoy it all the same. The Yakari drama is about to start kicking off, people! Fiiiiiinally. It's about time ;)**

* * *

**CHAPTER SEVEN**

_Dear Diary,_

_Wow, it's been a while since I wrote in here, huh? Oh my gosh, I have so much to tell you. But first thing's first, I'm gonna be an aunt… to twins! I'm so freaking excited. My clumsy, impulsive, crazy older brother is going to be a father… I know, right? Mimi told me about a month ago. It was kinda funny actually, I remembered her drinking wine the night before the ball, so naturally I had a little nag. Turns out it wasn't even wine, just some kind of fruit juice… sneaky girl! Anyhow, it definitely cheered me up a little when I was sick. Speaking of which, I'm pretty much over it. I'm still a little delicate, my chest hurts and I have a sore throat from coughing, but I'm good… for the most part. I actually think it was pretty good timing. Heaven knows what Tai would have done to TK if I hadn't gone down in such a fabulously dramatic fashion. He and Matt looked after me – more than was necessary, I'll admit – but it was nice all the same. _

_Oh my… Matt._

_I haven't told you, have I?_

_Well I hope to god no one finds you and reads this, because I'm about to spill my guts to you, Diary._

_I'm confused. Like, really confused. I seem to have developed some kind of feelings for him. Matt, I mean. At first it didn't feel like that much of a big deal, it just started out as some weird type of crush… you know, like a lot of girls have on their older brother's attractive friends or musicians. But those girls are usually hormonal kids, and Matt is all of those things. Attractive, musically gifted, and… Tai's best friend. Damn it. Anyway, the stupid crush didn't go away. It got worse. And now I'm sitting here, thinking about how he took care of me – and not just recently… when I was a kid, too – and I'm starting to feel a little scared. What if it doesn't go away? What if it continues to grow and grow until I'm one of those crazy old ladies who sits in her bungalow with her ten cats, permanently wearing a wedding dress and singing for her one true love to come back to her? Ok. I'm exaggerating a little, I know. But I'm kinda freaking out. It totally didn't help that he KISSED me. On the head, but still. I hope he didn't feel the shudder that made its way down my spine. It was pretty amazing, and I haven't stopped thinking about it much. That's the problem. That's all it's ever going to be. There's never going to be anything more, but that kiss was completely innocent. So was the time he held my hand. He'll only ever see me as his friend's little sister, and even if it turned into something else, I'm pretty sure Tai would cut his fingers off and lock me up or something._

_Anyway, I'm going to leave you now because I think World's Most Overprotective Brother is calling me. And I'm rambling and filling your pages with crap that makes me sound like an obsessive, love-sick teenager._

_Which, incidentally, is what I am._

_At least until tomorrow, when I turn twenty. And then I'll just be obsessive and love-sick._

_Kami-sama, I'm in trouble._

_Love always, Kari._

The red book slammed shut and fell onto the bed clumsily, blue fountain pen beside it. Kari leaned over to her pillow and retrieved her phone from under it, listening as Rihanna's _Umbrella _echoed in her room. She smiled at the name that flashed on the screen.

'Just as I thought,' she said to herself. The moment she answered the call and held the phone to her ear, she almost regretted it.

'Jesus Christ, how long does it take to answer the damn phone?'

Kari giggled. 'Relax, Tai. I was just writing… a grocery list. What's up?'

'Wellllll… since it's your special day tomorrow, Mimi and I have a small surprise for you.'

'Ooh, now I'm intrigued,' said Kari, lying back and twirling a lock of her hair extensions between her finger and thumb. She briefly wondered if she should take them out, but in truth, she quite enjoyed the glamorous feeling they gave her.

'So you should be. Are you up?'

'I am indeedy. Where are you, anyway?'

'I'm at work, slacker. But of course, you'd have known that if you got up at a normal time, like the rest of us.'

'Hey, I have plenty of time off and I intend to spend much of it in bed.'

'Lazy shit.' Tai chuckled. 'Listen, I'm leaving work at about twelve, get your ass ready because you're coming out with me.'

'Where?' Kari raised an eyebrow in confusion.

'To pick Mimi up from her shoot.'

She squinted, trying to understand. 'Alright, I'm gonna need you to tell me what's going on because I'm confused as hell right now.' Tai laughed, earning himself a loud groan from his sister. 'Seriously, Tai! Where are we going and why?'

'Alright, alright. We're going to the hospital to check up on our twins. We want you to see them with us.'

Kari gasped. 'You mean like a sonogram?'

'Yup.'

'And I get to be there?'

'Yup.'

She clenched her fist in excitement. 'Oh my god, Tai! Have I ever told you that you're the best brother in the whole world and that I love you?'

Tai snorted. 'Not often enough, sis. Now get yourself sorted, I'm leaving in like thirty minutes. Plus, Mimi wants you to go shopping with her afterwards while muggins here has to go back to work. Oh, and we're totally having a party for you at Yolei's tomorrow night. Everyone already knows.'

_Wow. He's pretty productive when he wants to be. _'Yes, sir. Oh, and Tai?'

'Yeah?'

Kari cocked her head and grinned brightly in a childish fashion. 'Love you,' she said in a girly, high-pitched voice.

'I knew you'd be excited,' he said, and Kari could almost hear his smile. 'Love you too, sis.'

The line went dead and Kari sighed happily. Those bothersome thoughts of Matt could wait. She was about to meet the new members of the Kamiya family – albeit on a screen – and she could barely think of anything else. Until her phone beeped and she looked at the name.

_Damn it._

Opening the message, she half expected to see an essay telling her that her brother was useless and to tell him to answer his phone. That's what she usually got whenever Matt texted her. But this one had no mention of Tai. Just a simple question.

_Are u free right now? X_

Kari stared at it for a moment and frowned. Of all the times she wanted him to ask if she was free, why _now?_ She momentarily contemplated telling him that she was, but she quickly scolded herself as she was reminded of what Tai had just offered her. It was a big thing and it was important to him. And it was important to her, too. She quickly tapped out a message in reply.

_Not right now, I'm going to see my new nieces or nephews… or niece AND_ _nephew, whatever, we won't know for a while. And it sounds as though I'm tagging along to the mall with Mimi afterwards to buy a new dress for tomorrow, so I'll give u a call when I'm home if u like? That's if u aren't doing anything later x_

A small groan escaped her lips as she checked the message to see if it sounded desperate. Feeling confident that it seemed pretty casual, she pressed the send button and made her way to her closet, where she threw on a pair of pale blue skinny jeans and a pink top that reminded her somewhat of the one she had worn in the Digital World. She was still smiling at the memory of the strange outfits they'd worn there when another beep from her phone bought her back to reality. She opened the new text.

_Ok, that's cool. Let me know how it goes. And I'm sorry that ur being dragged out with Mimi. I know the girl's a savage when she's shopping, lol. Call me when ur done then, I'll come see u and Tai. Or u guys could come to mine, whatever, TK's out later anyway so there'll be no drama. Btw, I'm looking forward to seeing ur new dress ;) x_

Kari almost dropped her phone. She read the last line over and over again.

_Btw, I'm looking forward to seeing ur new dress ;) x_

_Btw, I'm looking forward to seeing ur new dress ;) x_

_Btw, I'm looking forward to seeing ur new dress ;) x_

She bit her lip nervously. Was he _flirting _with her? Of course, it probably wouldn't have seemed that way had it not been for the DAMN WINKY FACE! _Relax, Kari, _she told herself. _It's harmless._ _It's just fun and games, right? _But why did he have to be so damn _confusing?_

'Well,' she said aloud. 'Two can play at that game.' And she tapped the reply button, a small but mischievous smile gracing her features as she stepped right out of one character and into another, gaining confidence she never knew she had.

* * *

Matt dropped his head onto the table, earning him a sharp pain.

'Ouchhh,' he moaned.

He cursed himself silently, wondering why he had to put his foot in his mouth all the time; the final comment in his last text to Kari was unnecessary and he regretted it the moment he tapped the stupid send button. It was in his nature to be careless with his words. It was something his friends had grown to love about him – he could always be trusted to tell Mimi the truth when she asked him how a particular dress looked on her, or when Tai asked if he was overreacting about a situation, or when anyone asked for his opinion on… well, anything. But it sometimes landed him in hot water, especially on the dating front. Matt didn't really _date._ He had sex. He left. He'd leave himself open for the inevitable booty call, but he'd never let himself get attached. This wasn't actually as difficult as it sounded –Matt found it hard to even think about being emotionally involved with anyone, and the possibility of it actually becoming a reality had been pretty non-existent. That is, until he entered into a relationship with Sora. She was different. Sure, she liked to nag a lot, but he loved her. He _still_ loved her. It wasn't a romantic love – it was the same kind of love he had for Mimi, or even Tai, and they'd both realised that a little too late. But she was a childhood friend, and nothing would ever take that away. And now he was single and thinking about his way of life before Sora. The idea of re-entering that lifestyle had sounded highly appealing, until now. Of all the girls he had the chance to fall for, why did it have to be _her?_

'What does she have that the others didn't?' he asked himself quietly.

Class.

Honesty.

Loyalty.

They were the things he liked most about Kari. She was sweet and funny, feminine but strong and brave. She was polite, warm and caring, and she wouldn't do anything to hurt anyone. Matt shook his head at his own question. She had _everything_ the others didn't. The others were loud, brash, open about their intentions to tame him, eager to show him off like he was a prize. Matt didn't actually mind this all that much, he knew he was rather pleasant to look at, but the idea that he was being forced further and further into what he called 'official-ness' sickened him. Those girls never asked him what he wanted, just assumed that he was on the same page as they were just because he wanted their bodies. That was the thing that angered him most; their assumptions that he felt the same way they did, the fact that they believed that they knew him. They didn't. They only knew his phone number and bedroom skills. It was… _desperate._ And in Yamato Ishida's eyes, desperate girls were only good for one thing.

It was as he was pondering his confusion over his growing feelings that his phone vibrated on the table, and he looked at it sharply, staring as though it had just spoken to him. The sensation of his stomach dropping was almost enough to make him feel sick and he picked up the device, refusing to look at the screen. She was about to chastise him for the not-so-discreet comment, he knew it. She would tell him that he was out of line and to back off. She'd ask him to give her a reason why she shouldn't tell Tai that his best friend was _trying _to flirt with his sister. He squeezed his eyes shut and shook his head. She wasn't that brutal. And anyway, it was already said and done. He just had to read the rejection and get it over and done with. But maybe that wouldn't have been so terrible. He'd realise that there was nothing between them and he could move onto the next…

He opened his eyes and tapped the message, reading it and letting out a long, low whistle. 'Wow.'

_Well I'd better make sure I choose one that pleases your wandering eye, then x_

He couldn't reply. His thumb wouldn't move. He was rendered immobile for a moment as her words sunk in. It wasn't her. It couldn't be. It just wasn't like her. It had to be Mimi messing around on her phone. Or Tai throwing him some bait. _No, they're both at work. It's her._ 'Damn.'

He regained some of his ability to move and moved his thumbs over the keys slowly.

_Miss Kamiya, I'm shocked! Didn't know u had it in u x_

It was the truth. He'd never heard such things come from her. He'd never even seen her flirt. Not even with TK.

_TK._

A small sigh escaped his lips as he thought of the younger sibling. He was flirting with his brother's ex. That was wrong.

But a small and slightly annoying voice in the back of his mind attempted to justified his actions. _He treated her badly. He didn't deserve her anyway._

A realisation hit him and he sat up straight. What if his feelings weren't even genuine? What if he was just subconsciously trying to clean up the mess his brother made? What if she actually liked him and he used her, just like he always had? He'd have his way with her and lose interest, leaving her and walking away, making him no better than TK and losing some of his best friends in the process. It wasn't like him to feel much. It was odd that he felt strongly about Kari. But his history with women haunted him and he found himself uncomfortable – scared, even – with the prospect of hurting someone he had spent most of his life trying to protect.

_But that doesn't have to happen. _That stupid voice again. _It's flirting, not fucking. It's just banter. She doesn't have to know how you feel._

The phone vibrated in his clammy hand again. A press of a button had an involuntary smirk making its way to Matt's lips.

_There's a lot u don't know about me, Mr Ishida x_

The small smile stayed in place as he replied, his discomfort fading as he settled into the conversation with her.

_Well, then. Can I find out? X_

'What are you looking so fucking smug for?' Matt spun around at TK's voice as he walked past him casually, helping himself to a bag of crisps and settling himself at the table opposite his older brother. TK grinned when he found himself ignored, and chuckled to himself.

'What?'

'It's a girl,' replied TK knowingly.

'No, it isn't.'

'Sure it isn't.' The younger blonde stood up again with his snack and headed to the living room. 'Just be sure to let her know that she's in for an emotional beating.'

Matt glanced up. 'Excuse me?'

'Well it's like a pattern for you now, isn't it? That's what you do, right? Love em and leave em?'

'No,' said Matt sharply. He turned around, leaving his back to TK. He couldn't give anything away. If anyone found out he had feelings for someone, _real _feelings, they'd start asking questions. So he gritted his teeth. 'I don't love em. Anyway, you're one to talk.'

TK snorted. There was a silence, but Matt didn't hear TK leave the room. 'I'm sorry.'

Matt turned to look sharply at TK, his eyebrow raised suspiciously. 'What?'

'I'm sorry,' TK repeated. 'I know I'm a bit of a handful, and everyone manages to piss me off, but I don't mean to take it out on you. We're a family, right? Bros. So I'm sorry if I caused trouble for you. You know, with Tai and Kari.'

'Uh… yeah,' Matt stuttered. 'Thanks.'

TK simply nodded and placed a crisp in his mouth, exiting the room and leaving Matt in a state of confusion. He barely had time to contemplate his brother's unexpected change of heart before his phone buzzed once more. Trembling thumbs opened the message.

_Tomorrow x_

Matt exhaled deeply as he spoke quietly to himself.

'Well, shit.'

* * *

It was late afternoon – just after five o clock - and the sky grew pink as the sun began to make its way to bed, casting tall, looming shadows over the streets, which were beginning to busy as people left their places of work. Two girls sat on a bench, at least ten bags at their feet, crammed with dresses, cosmetics, and… baby clothes. The older of the two sighed.

'These kids are gonna prove to be expensive little monkeys,' said Mimi. A smile found her lips as she looked at her companion happily. 'Totally worth it, though.'

Kari grinned. 'Totally,' she agreed. She thought about the little people she had seen on a screen earlier that afternoon and smiled. It really had been the most incredible experience of her life. The amount of love in that room as Kari and Tai stood to the side of a grinning Mimi while they all stared at the little heartbeats was overwhelming. She sighed. 'What are you gonna do about work?'

Mimi shrugged. 'My agent's usually pretty flexible. When I start to look like a hippo I might get some maternity shoots or something. But when the little ones are here, I'm gonna take some time off. Tai's said he'll look after us, money-wise, even though I insist that my salary alone would keep us living comfortably for ages. I think it's an ego thing. But yeah. I'm just gonna focus on being a mommy. Wow,' she whistled. 'That sounded strange.'

Kari giggled. 'Were they planned?'

Mimi looked at her like she was from another planet. 'Of course not,' she replied. 'Happy accident. Obviously, we should have known better, but everything happens for a reason, right?'

'Right.'

'I mean, I'd have liked to have gotten married before I had children, but things never happen as planned. Besides, this has been the kick up the ass we've needed to get our shit together, you know? We've been looking at houses, and Tai's found one. It's beautiful Kar, four bedrooms and a big-ass garden. And the asking price is decent.' Mimi smiled sheepishly. 'We put in an offer.'

'Meems, that's great! I hope you get it.'

'Me too, it's looking promising.' She sighed happily and placed her hands in her lap, watching people walk by. 'It's gonna be perfect. I'm gonna have a family, and I can't wait.'

Kari gazed at Mimi with a huge amount of admiration and respect, tinged with a hint of sympathy. Her own mother had passed away when she was just twelve, and her relationship with her father had been somewhat strained. He had been disappointed when his daughter started dating Tai Kamiya, as he saw him to be too immature and thoughtless to be good enough for the likes of Mimi, and so when he was offered a job in New York, he had taken it, delighted to move his daughter away from the 'simple people' of Odaiba. He always had been a snob, Kari remembered. She only met him once, and took an instant dislike to him when she caught him glaring at her brother. Mimi missed Tai terribly during her short time in America, and when Mr and Mrs Kamiya realised just how miserable the young couple were when they were apart, they kindly offered troubled Mimi a place in their own home. Without needing encouragement, and feeling incredibly grateful to her future in-laws, she took the first flight back to Japan to reunite with the young man she wanted to spend her life with. Of course, her father was less than pleased with these developments, and not three months after Mimi had returned, Kari had come home from school to find her crying with her head buried in Tai's chest. He was stroking her hair and attempting to comfort her, but the poor girl was inconsolable. It was her father.

He had informed her that her grandparents had died in a horrible car accident. Then he had disowned her.

All in an email.

Mimi had lived in a home with one parent whose only aspiration for her was wealth and family honour - a successful woman who didn't bring shame to what was left of the Tachikawa family. And still, she had grown to be a beautiful, funny, lovely young woman with a new family who thought the world of her, an enviable wage doing the thing she loved, and an exciting, secure future. Kari smiled. She was constantly moved by Mimi's backstory, and although she rarely said it, she was incredibly proud of her. She was her role-model. The person she aspired to be like. Mimi had chosen to follow her heart and it had led her to a life filled with love and laughter. Kari wanted that, too.

'I'm so glad you're happy, Meems.'

Mimi glanced at her affectionately. 'Me too.'

'There you are!' A loud voice hollered at them, and they turned to see Tai looking slightly irritated in his car. 'Do you know how long it took for me to find you?'

Mimi giggled. 'I said we were waiting at the bench.'

'Do you even know how many benches there are around here?'

'Oh shut it, you.' She stood up and winked at Kari. 'Come on, Kar. Get in.'

'Alright. Let me take your bags, Preggo. Oh, and Tai?'

'Hmm?'

'I think Matt wants to hang out. You up for it?'

Tai looked at Mimi, who nodded her approval, then glanced back at his sister. 'Sure.'

Kari let out a nervous chuckle quietly under her breath as she remembered her less-than-innocent conversation with him earlier.

_This should be interesting._

* * *

Matt's kitchen was startlingly white compared to the Kamiyas' and Kari almost felt too afraid to touch anything for fear of leaving fingerprints. She sat still at the table while Matt made them drinks, listening to Tai and Mimi babbling excitedly about their day. She smiled as Mimi handed a sonogram picture to him, which he politely took and grinned at.

'Wow,' he said. 'Who'd have guessed? Tai Kamiya's gonna be a daddy.'

'The most awesome dad in the world,' Tai corrected him. 'Seriously, dude. It was the most amazing thing.'

Kari snickered in amusement. 'He bawled like a baby,' she said.

Tai raised his hands by his sides in a carefree fashion. 'And zero fucks were given,' he said, a proud smile on his face. 'Not even ashamed.'

The four of them laughed, and Matt sat down, passing everyone their drinks. His hand lingered slightly when he passed Kari hers, and when she reached for it her fingers brushed his. It took all her self-control not to gasp as memories of their earlier conversation flooded her mind. Instead she smiled politely. 'Thanks, Matt.'

'No problem.' He gave her a subtle wink and Kari had to fight with all her effort to stop the blush rising to her cheeks. He was thinking of what she'd said to him that morning, about her dress, she knew it. She didn't even know where it had come from, just thought she'd play him at his own game and got a little carried away.

'So,' Tai blurted, interrupting the eye contact between his best friend and sister, 'tomorrow night. You still in?'

'Of course,' replied Matt with a shrug. 'Wouldn't miss it. Jeez, I remember when this one started school.' He looked at Kari who stared at him with intrigue. _He really remembers that kind of stuff? _'You make me feel old, kiddo.'

She giggled quietly, feeling odd at the nickname he had used. It was affectionate, personal, sweet. But casual. Like he still saw her as just Tai's kid sister. But those messages… they hadn't been casual. Kari screamed inside her head as frustration washed over her. Why was he so damn confusing?

'I know, right?' she replied, hoping that her insides weren't showing on the outside. 'I mean, you're almost twenty three, that's like _ancient,'_ she said sarcastically.

Matt put on a dramatically fake laughing expression. 'Funny. Although, now you mention it, I should probably get my shit together. What with everyone starting families without me and all.' He gestured to Tai and Mimi.

'Aww don't worry, Ishida,' said Mimi sweetly. 'You can babysit every single weekend while Tai and I go out and maintain our social lives. It'll almost be like having a family of your own.'

The blonde snorted loudly. 'You wish, Meems. Face it, your social lives are officially dead.'

Mimi laughed. 'We're still young. There'll be plenty of time to go out when the little ones are older,' she said optimistically. She took a sip of her tea and smiled. 'Do you ever think about that kinda stuff?'

'Are you kidding? I can barely take care of myself,' he replied.

'Come off it,' Tai interrupted. 'You've been practically self-sufficient since you were a kid. We all have. I mean, we took care of ourselves in the old days. You know, _there._' Kari flinched at his unwillingness to address the Digital World by name. 'If we hadn't, we'd probably be dead.'

'You're wrong,' said Matt. Everyone turned to look at him and he shrugged. 'We didn't take care of ourselves. We took care of each other. If any of us had been there alone, we probably wouldn't have stood a chance.'

'Wait, didn't you go off on your own at one point? And yet you're still here in one piece,' Kari pointed out.

'Yeah, but not for long, and I was with Gabumon. I'd have been screwed if I was completely alone, I'll freely admit that.'

The four sat in silence for a moment, clearly reminiscing on their time spent together as children, before Mimi laughed.

'What's so funny?' asked Tai.

'Check Ishida out, changing the subject.'

Matt spluttered. 'Huh?'

'Come on,' Mimi urged. 'When are you giving us godchildren?'

'Yeah, Matt.' Kari smiled mischievously, secretly enjoying the uncomfortable expression on his face. 'When are you blessing the world with your offspring?'

She waited, fully expecting him to come out with the usual story of marriage and kids not really being 'his scene,' as he always had whenever people had asked if he would marry Sora. Kari found it amusing, his insistence that his mind would never change, and his discomfort surrounding the topic. She held back her amusement, saving it for when he would inevitably brush it off and change the subject. He didn't. He did something that sent a chill down her spine. He looked at her, with an expression that she had never seen on him before, and smiled.

'When I find the right person.'

She stared at him in shock. It was an innocent statement, one that would have been deemed normal and sensible by anyone else, but the way he gazed at her when he said it made Kari feel… uncomfortable. This wasn't normal. This wasn't right.

'Boooooring,' said Tai dramatically, feigning a yawn and earning himself a nudge in the ribs from Matt. Mimi glanced at Kari - who sat next to her so still that she thought rigor mortis might have set in - and winked at her.

'Boys,' she said, shaking her head with a secretive smile.

'Yeah,' Kari laughed unconvincingly, and Mimi could sense the nerves radiating from her. 'Boys.'

A door slammed shut, and the four of them turned to the doorway to see TK throwing his keys into a bowl on the counter. A deadly silence ensued, bringing a tension to the atmosphere so thick it could have been sliced with a butter knife.

'Sup,' the younger blonde said casually, folding his arms. Kari could feel his nerves and the look on his face almost made her feel sorry for him.

'Hey,' she said politely, being careful to remind herself of the things he had said to her not too long ago. She couldn't let herself feel bad for him, he'd happily stab her in the back the moment it was turned. That was just the kind of person he was. But that expression…

'Thought you were staying out,' said Matt, not making eye contact with him, instead flashing Kari an apologetic look. She gave him a forgiving smile in return.

'Yeah, well. Things don't always happen according to plan.'

TK reached over Kari's shoulder to grab an apple from the bowl on the table and she glanced at Tai. He was glaring at TK so hard she thought the younger boy might burst into flames at any moment.

'Girl troubles?' asked Matt casually.

He snorted. 'Bro. Girls _are _trouble,' he replied.

'If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were serious about someone.'

'Not anymore.'

The room fell silent once more and Kari looked at TK as he turned his back on them to focus on something on the notice board. How could she have not known that look? She'd had the same one before. He had been horrible to her, there was no doubt about that, but it was in her nature to be forgiving and welcoming, and she just couldn't bring herself to be angry at someone who was obviously feeling a little down.

'I'm having a party tomorrow night,' she blurted. It was out of her mouth before she'd even had time to think about it, and her attention was turned to Tai, who was glaring at her and swiping at his neck rapidly. _Too late, _she thought. She sighed. 'At Yolei's. Do you wanna come?' She looked back at her brother, who rolled his eyes and dropped his head onto the table exasperatedly.

TK spun around. Kari clearly saw that he was surprised by the offer, and a little suspicious, given the frown on his face.

'Uh-' he stuttered. 'I dunno. Maybe.' He turned and headed towards the living room, pausing at the door. 'But, uh… thanks,' he said quietly.

Kari nodded politely and turned back to the others, two of whom were staring at her in shock, and one whose forehead was still stuck to the table.

'What did you just do?' asked Mimi incredulously.

'Please don't get on my back, I just… felt kinda sorry for him. I mean,' she gestured to the living room, where they could still see TK watching TV, 'look at him. Watching his little film and eating his little apple.'

Mimi snorted with laughter.

'You,' said Tai lifting his head, 'are unbelievable.'

'Don't listen to him,' said Matt, nudging Tai with a smirk. 'What you just did was a really sweet thing. It was big of you.'

Kari smiled. 'I hope I won't regret it,' she said nervously.

'That makes two of us,' said Mimi, standing up. 'I can't deal with the drama. We'd better go, anyway. Long day tomorrow, and Preggo here needs her rest.' She pointed at herself with both hands and moved to give Matt a hug. Kari smiled. They'd been close since they were kids, it was kind of sweet. But what was that tiny irritated sensation in her stomach?

_Uh oh, _she thought. _The green eyed monster. _

A more manly hug ensued between him and Tai, and Kari felt a little better. Tai was ok with Matt and Mimi's bond, why shouldn't she be? He let go of her brother and turned to her. Her stomach clenched. The only time he'd ever hugged her was when she was scared or sick as a child. She felt odd. She felt even more odd as he wrapped his arms around her confidently and gave her a slight squeeze. Her own arms snaked around his waist and she involuntarily breathed in his scent. He smelled good. Really good. It ended faster than she would have liked it to, but had it been any longer, she was sure Tai would have been dragging them apart. She put her coat on and followed her brother and Mimi to the door, where Matt held it open for them. They said their goodbyes, but before Kari could step out of the door, she felt a hand around her arm. She looked up at Matt, who stood so close to her she worried that he could hear her heart beat faster.

'Did you mean what you said earlier?' he asked, keeping his voice low enough to not reach Tai's ears. 'About getting to know you?' She stared at him awkwardly, feeling her cheeks redden, and nodded slowly. He grinned brightly at her. 'Looking forward to it,' he said, and he let go. Catching up with Tai, Kari saw Mimi flash her a smile and linked an arm with hers.

'Lucky girl,' she said quietly.

Kari looked at her in confusion. 'What?'

Mimi simply shook her head with a smile and continued to walk behind her fiancée.

A frown made its way to Kari's forehead. _What the hell?_

* * *

They were less than a minute away from the apartment when Kari's phone buzzed discreetly in her coat pocket. She took it out and opened the incoming message without any thought. It was from Matt. She stared at it, her mouth half open and her heart pounding violently.

_You're beautiful x_

* * *

**So kids, today we learned that: Matt clearly has no self-control even though he knows he's being naughty, Mimi's strangely observant, TK's acting oddly, Tai wants TK to burn in hell, and Kari is ridiculously forgiving even if there _is_ a part of her that thinks it might bite her on the ass. **

***Inhales deeply* Well. These people are beyond complicated.**

**Next chapter: PARTY! ALCOHOL! CONFESSIONS! SMOOCHING! GENERAL YAKARI FEELS!**

**I dunno about you guys, but I'm excited.**

**Thanks for reading ;)**


	8. Chapter 8

**Happy Saturday! (unless it's not Saturday when you get round to reading this, in which case... Happy Day!) Thank you for your reviews, you're all awesome :P And just for anyone wondering about the upcoming Tai/Mimi fic, the plot has been planned and written down, and the first chapter is under construction! Therefooooore, I'm hoping it will be with you within the next week or two, depending on my work/study schedule. **

**So... here we go!**

**Hold onto your brains, because Kari's about to get hella confusing... the girl needs to make her mind up. Actually, so does Matt. But... we're about to get some Yakari action! We finally made it!**

**Enjoy :)**

* * *

**CHAPTER EIGHT**

Sleep seemed like a pretty good idea. He'd barely slept the previous night anyway, instead lay in his bed staring at the ceiling, thinking about his arrangement with Kari. He'd asked if he could know her better, and she'd agreed. What did that even mean? He wasn't entirely sure what he'd meant when he'd asked, but the more he thought about it, the more it seemed like a bad idea. He wasn't supposed to be having these thoughts about her. He thought it would pass with a bit of harmless flirting, but only a few text messages later, it was getting worse and worse with every second. This wasn't like him. He was trying to get back in the game he had once played so well, not _lose_ it. He hadn't even texted her to wish her a happy birthday, because he feared that he would somehow manage to spill his guts to her the moment he tapped on her phone number. And now he was tempted to sleep through her party, just so he could avoid any confrontation he might be forced to face. He was a bad friend. Not that he wanted to _be _her friend. He wanted more. But what? A steady relationship was off the table; he wasn't ready for that, no matter how strong his feelings for her were. Besides, it wasn't a possibility anyway – no one would let it happen. Tai, Sora, TK – they'd be so mad at him, so disappointed. And maybe Kari wouldn't want it either. _A casual relationship?_ Ridiculous. Kari wasn't the type to sleep with someone casually.

Matt threw himself on the sofa and rested his guitar across his stomach, strumming absent-mindedly. It was an acoustic guitar, not his usual instrument of choice, but it was soft enough to not contribute to the headache his loud thoughts were already causing. This particular guitar had seen him through many songs too personal to release to the public, and it seemed fitting that he should be playing it now. Before he could start thinking up some lyrics to the quiet tune he was playing though, a clearing of someone's throat interrupted him. He looked up to see TK standing near the sofa.

'What are you hovering for?' Matt snapped.

'Are you going to Kari's party?'

Matt sighed softly. He had to, she was his friend, no matter what stupid thoughts were trying to hold him back. 'Yeah.' He waited for a moment. 'Are you?'

'If he is, he'd better buy her the mother of all birthday presents. He's got a lot of making up to do.' A voice caught both men's attentions and they turned to watch Mimi sauntering into the living room.

'Please, come in,' said Matt sarcastically.

'Sweetie, you should invest in some form of security. There appears to be some kind of rabid fangirl hanging around outside. Practically frothing at the mouth, she was. She asked me if I knew you, and I just strolled right past her and into the building. I could have been anyone.'

Matt smirked. 'I should be so lucky.'

Mimi rolled her eyes. 'Rude.' She gestured for him to move his legs and guitar so she could sit down. He obliged and she flung her shoes off. 'Thank God for that. Seriously, people warned me about heels and pregnancy, but look.' She pointed at her feet. 'Just LOOK! I'm not even showing much and I have _hippo ankles.' _She groaned loudly. 'Wait, do hippos even have ankles? Urgh, just kill me now.'

Both brothers frowned in unison.

'Uh… Meems?' Matt narrowed his eyes suspiciously.

'Hmm?'

'What are you doing in my apartment?'

Mimi crossed her arms defensively. 'Well I wouldn't have to be here if you'd met me like you said you would.'

'Huh?'

'You said you'd come with me to get Kari a present.'

'I thought you already got her one?'

'That was from the twins.' Mimi scowled and Matt smirked at her.

'Seriously? They've not even been born and they're already buying birthday presents? That's impressive,' he said casually.

'Shut up,' she replied, poking him in the chest. 'Did you even get her anything?'

'Of course.'

'When?'

Matt didn't want to admit it, but Mimi had him cornered. 'Couple of weeks ago.'

She smiled knowingly. 'Bit eager for you, isn't it?'

'Thought I'd get it out of the way,' he shrugged.

'And what about you?' Mimi glanced up at TK. 'You're not showing up without something to say you're sorry, I'll tell you that right now.'

'I , uh… I don't think I'm going.'

'Hmm.' The girl looked him up and down. 'Probably for the best. Tai's not your biggest fan right now and I'll be damned if I have to raise two kids by myself because their father's in jail for murder.'

Matt glowered at her. 'Mimi.' His voice was low, almost a warning.

'Yeah, yeah. Your house, your rules, I get it.'

TK sighed loudly and left the room, leaving Mimi and Matt alone. She looked at his dark expression with ease, unfaltering, completely unintimidated as she stared him down.

Matt finally spoke. 'He's trying,' he said quietly.

'Yes, but why?'

'I dunno. Probably just had a change of heart.'

'People don't just change like that,' Mimi snapped her fingers. 'Anyway, enough about him.' She slapped him on the thigh and grinned mischievously. 'Talk to your best gal pal in the whole world. When are you going to tell Kari?'

Matt swallowed. 'Tell Kari what?'

Mimi cocked her head to the side and grinned as though he'd just asked the most obvious question in the history of questions.

'That you have feelings for her.'

* * *

It wasn't a huge party. Close friends, a few cousins and some plus ones. Just the way Kari wanted it. Nice people, good music, some alcohol, and… amazing food. Kari had never noticed before, but Yolei was an _excellent _cook. Even the simple things like sausage rolls were made to perfection and all presented on plates in pretty shapes and formations. Everyone was dressed nicely, and suddenly Kari felt less conscious of her own dress. It was fairly short, but with a high neckline. Mimi had chosen the little black number for her, telling her that she just had to 'show off those long legs but keep the goods covered'. It had long sleeves and was slightly tight, accentuating her waist and stopping halfway between her thighs and her knees. Tai had thrown a fit when he'd seen it, but Kari had simply laughed and told him that she was breaking free of his style choices. Mimi added that if it was up to Tai, his sister would be dressed like a nun, and the older Kamiya had rolled his eyes at the girls' giggles. Now he was standing in a corner, his arm tightly wrapped around Mimi's waist, showing her off to a group of smiling people, no doubt bragging about his beautiful wife-to-be and their twins. Kari smiled softly. At just twenty two years old, her brother had everything he wanted – a steady soccer career (even if it was just a teaching position), the woman he loved with all of his heart, a wedding to plan, two babies on the way, and soon he would have his own home to raise his family in. She was so proud of him. It was a while before she realised she had zoned out a little, and coming back to reality she saw someone approaching her. Her stomach did a small flip. Plenty of people had wished her a happy birthday, given her hugs, presents and cards, but this person was really the only one she had wanted to see. She'd been a little worried that he wasn't coming, but pushed her thoughts to the back of her mind and attempted to focus on the people who _were _there.

'I was beginning to think you'd been abducted,' she said with a giggle.

'You know me,' he shrugged. 'Fashionably late.' Matt wrapped one arm around her and pulled her into a hug. Kari's heartbeat quickened as she felt his hand around her waist through the stretchy material of her dress and she found herself involuntarily leaning into him. She was sure she heard him swallow thickly. They parted, and Matt bought his other arm out from behind his back, presenting to her a small black box. 'Happy birthday, Kamiya.'

'What's this?' she smiled and took it from him carefully.

'Just open it.'

With trembling fingers, she did as she was told. Her eyes widened slightly and she gasped when she saw what the box contained. It was a necklace, silver with a small charm dangling from it. On closer inspection, Kari saw that the charm was that of a familiar symbol.

She glanced up at Matt, whose lips turned upwards slightly in a small smile. 'My Crest of Light,' she said, her voice no more than a whisper.

He held out his hand for the necklace and she gave it to him, turning and lifting her newly-extended hair up to expose her neck. A small shiver wriggled down her spine when she felt his fingers brush her skin as he placed the jewellery around her neck, and when it was fastened, she dropped her hair and turned back to face him, fiddling with the pretty charm. He looked nervous. Even his smile hid something, and she wanted to know what it was.

For now though, she'd keep it casual.

'Thank you. It's beautiful.'

Matt's eyes softened. 'Like you.'

_Well. So much for casual._

Her breathing became shallow and quick as he leaned closer to her so that his mouth was right next to her ear.

'By the way,' he said quietly. 'That dress _definitely _pleases my wandering eye. Good call.'

Kari's eyes widened and she felt her cheeks begin to heat up. She looked away as her brother suddenly interrupted their moment and Matt straightened quickly.

'Ishida, my main man! Where've you been, dude?'

'I was waiting for TK to decide whether he was coming or not,' Matt lied. He'd known TK wouldn't come, but he didn't want to tell Tai that the reason he was so late was because it was _him _debating on staying at home. Because he was struggling with his feelings for his sister. That wouldn't go down well.

'And is he?' Tai asked suspiciously.

Matt shook his head. 'No.'

'Oh. Shame,' said Tai sarcastically. 'Flirting with my sister, I see.'

It's was Matt's turn to widen his eyes. 'What?'

Tai laughed obnoxiously. 'Relax, man. I was kidding. But seriously, this one's far too good for you.' He threw his arm around Kari and she faked a laugh, shooting Matt an _I'm sorry _look.

Matt smiled and shook his head. 'Are you drunk?'

'Only a little. But dude. Don't tell Meems, she'll get jealous. Bet she's sick of the sight of orange juice,' he winked. 'Oh look, there's Sora. Sora!'

Matt shut his eyes and bit his tongue.

Kari gritted her teeth. 'Shit,' she cursed under her breath. This was the last thing she needed. More guilt to pile on the shed load of it she carried already.

'Hey,' said Sora, approaching with a drink in her hand.

'Hey,' said Kari, before being pulled into a quick, awkward hug. 'Oh! Uh, ok… we're doing the hugging thing. Right.'

Sora giggled and let her go. 'I'm sorry. But I haven't seen you for a while. Not since-'

'-The ball.' Kari nodded. She had called Sora when she had begun to feel a little better to apologise for her early departure and her brother's behaviour that night, but since her mind had been clouded with a few unclean thoughts of her friend's ex, she couldn't bear to hear her voice for long. There was one thing she hadn't yet apologised for, though. 'Listen, I'm sorry. About the night before. The way I acted, it was bang out of order and it just wasn't like me.'

'No, it wasn't like you at all,' agreed Sora. 'But TK can be an irritating little bastard at times – no offence, Matt .'

Matt shrugged and shook his head. 'None taken.'

Sora smiled and turned back to Kari. 'So I can totally understand why you reacted that way when he said that.'

Matt shot a look at the two girls. 'Wait… said what? What did he say?'

'About me and you,' Kari glanced up at him. 'I already told you. The same night it happened, I think.'

'Oh.' Matt nodded. 'Yeah.'

Sora nudged him in the ribs. 'You should have seen her, Yama. She's a feisty little thing when she's provoked.' She laughed loudly. 'And to think I almost believed him! You guys! That's ridiculous!' She continued to giggle to herself while Kari pursed her lips and moved her gaze to a particularly appealing patch of floor to her left while Matt frowned and then raised an eyebrow, clearly irritated at the prospect of their being together seeming ridiculous.

Kari looked up at Matt, and an odd feeling crept up inside her.

He was annoyed_._ And it was _showing_.

If he didn't take the scowl off his face soon, Sora would catch it. Then she'd notice the redness of Kari's cheeks, and she'd begin to ask questions. That odd feeling bubbling inside her? _Fear._ Because even though nothing had happened, the idea of her brother even thinking that such a thing was going on was enough to strike terror into her heart. He'd hurt Matt, she knew it. He'd wonder if he'd ever really known her. He'd be disappointed in her. She concentrated hard on Matt's growing frustration, and it hit her hard. _He felt the same way. _

Shit just got real.

And she couldn't handle it.

'I know,' she said sternly in response to Sora's giggles and not taking her eyes off Matt's for a second. 'Ridiculous.'

Matt frowned and watched as she turned abruptly, heading for the stairs and leaving him alone with an obviously tipsy Sora.

'What's with her?' she asked, leaning on Matt.

'I have no idea,' he said, still looking at the stairs she had just disappeared up. 'Probably feeling a little overwhelmed. I'd better go talk to her – can't have her missing her own party, can we?' He grinned to hide his mixed emotions. 'Still gotta get the birthday girl drunk, right?'

'Right!' Sora squealed, and she gave Matt a small push towards the stairs. He was just edging towards them when he felt eyes on him, an uncomfortable sensation of being watched. Turning to his left, he saw none other than Mimi, nestled in Tai's arm and looking straight at Matt while her fiancé chatted brightly with his half-drunk friends. She wasn't smiling. She looked… worried. _Sad._ He frowned a little when he saw her open her mouth.

_Be careful, _she mouthed silently.

He nodded slowly and placed a hand on the railing, taking two stairs at a time. He was going to find out what had made her walk away. And while he was at it, he was going to tell her how he felt. Then they could decide where to go from there. If there was anywhere to go.

Enough guilt.

Enough confusion.

Time to face the music.

* * *

Kari ran a hand through her wavy dark hair extensions and kicked the bathtub in frustration. She dropped herself to sit on the side of it and sighed loudly.

'What am I doing?' she asked herself quietly. 'What the fuck am I doing?'

This was stupid. She was sitting in a bathroom at her own party assaulting inanimate objects and feeling angry at the world for her own mixed-up feelings, and it was all Matt's fault. He'd known what he was doing when he'd sent her those messages, when he'd held her hand and kissed her head. And she just couldn't take it anymore. Her feelings were way out of hand and it was getting difficult to hide them. It was only fairly recently that she'd started to believe that Matt may have liked her a little more than he should have - taking his text messages into consideration - but not five minutes ago, she had watched as he gritted his teeth and scowled at the person dismissing the idea of the pair of them as an item as ridiculous. He liked her. There was no doubt about it. Was there?

But it was hopeless.

Kari felt as though she was fighting a lost cause.

A small part of her wanted to cry, but she didn't want to ruin her makeup. She'd have to face Tai at some point, and she didn't want him asking questions and going all over-protective-drunk-psycho-brother on her. So she held it in, placed her head in her hands and attempted to steady her breathing. There was a knock on the door and she sighed.

'It's occupied,' she said loudly, hoping that the interrupter would go away. They didn't. The sound of the door clicking open made her groan into her hands in frustration and she raised her voice. 'Are you deaf?' she yelled, feeling a hint of her brother's temper rise within her own veins . She lifted her head, standing to confront the intruder, and came face to face with…

'Matt.'

'What's the matter?'

'Nothing.'

'Are you pissed off with me?' Kari said nothing, instead clasping her hands in her lap and sitting back down. Matt frowned. 'Seriously, Kari. What's your problem?'

'You!' she blurted. 'You're my problem!'

Shock flashed across Matt's features. 'What are you talking about?'

'_You_, with your texts, and your smirks and your winks! You with your little mind games! It's messed me up, Matt!'

Matt folded his arms. 'How so?'

'Because now I like you! Like, really like you! And I shouldn't!'

Oh dear. The truth train had started up.

'And what makes you think I don't like you?'

'You don't _like _anyone! You _sleep _with girls, that's what you do. You fuck with their heads and then just move on to the next! I just never thought _I'd_ be stupid enough to get caught up with your game.'

Matt recoiled in horror at her words. _So that's what she thought of him. _

'Excuse me,' he interjected. 'I wasn't the only one sending not-so-innocent texts, _angel._'

Kari stood up. She was a fairly tall girl, just a few inches shy of Matt and her brother, who were of around the same height as each other, and she stared at him furiously, clenching her fists and raising her voice.

'I was responding to YOUR flirting!'

'Oh, for fuck's sake! I threw you some bait and you took it. Ya didn't have to!'

Kari groaned. 'You are _unbelievable! _You know what, Ishida? Keep playing that game, because you're a fucking pro at it. Well done. You win.' She turned sharply and stormed towards the door, only to be stopped by a hand closing around her wrist.

'Oh no, you're not going anywhere. You are NOT walking out on me now!' His voice was louder than usual and had a dangerous tone to it. Kari froze, eyeing him angrily. He gritted his teeth. 'Why am I the only one to blame?'

'Because I know that I wouldn't be half as damn confused as I am now if you never started playing games with me and messing with my head in the first place!'

'I never meant to mess with your head, Kari!' he shouted.

She laughed sarcastically. 'Oh sure you didn't.'

'I didn't!' Matt waited for a moment then let go of her wrist, which she yanked away from him. He turned his back to her and took a few steps, running his hands through his blonde hair. Kari stared at him. _He was so hot when he was angry._ _Shame her mood was too foul to appreciate it much. _She blinked when he turned back to her rapidly and pointed a finger in her direction. 'You think you're the only one feeling messed up right now? You have NO idea how confused _I _am!'

'Then tell me! Christ, Matt, it's really not that difficult! Why won't you just be honest with me?'

'I'm scared, Kari!' he shouted suddenly.

'Why?!'

'Because I'm in love with you!' He stood still, surprised at his own outburst. He never meant to say that. But the moment the words left his lips, he realised. He was never really confused. It had been true all along. He'd just been denying it to himself. 'I'm in love with you,' he repeated, his voice quieter than before. Kari was rendered speechless. She opened her mouth to try and find some words, but with two strides, he was in front of her, a hand firmly in her hair and his eyes locked on hers.

And without much thought at all, he pressed his lips to hers and kissed her.

The game was up.


	9. Chapter 9

**Guys, guess what? **

**My big bro's getting married! Ahhh I'm so excited! His fiancee is so happy and I'm just sitting here wondering how he managed to get anyone to agree to marry him lol. Kidding, I love him really. Most of the time. But yeah, I love a good wedding, so I'm excited about wearing a pretty outfit and watching my eldest brother finally sign his life away... and the hen party... obviously :P**

**Ahem. Anywaaaays...**

**Sorry this chapter is a little late. It's been a busy couple of weeks, and I'm also trying to work on my new Michi fic :) Kinda excited about that. I apologise if this chapter seems a little rushed, I had a rather inconvenient bout of writer's block when I started it and I ended up writing the stupid chapter four times -.- Oh well. Thank you for you reviews and messages, they motivate me, and I love you guys for it :)**

**Now... On with the story! Enjoy ;)**

* * *

**CHAPTER NINE**

A party was happening around her. People were livelier than they had been not thirty minutes before – probably thanks to the alcohol in their systems – and bodies moved fluently to the music coming from speakers in all corners of the room. Kari didn't feel much like joining them, though. Instead, she watched carefully with her arms folded in one of the darker parts of the living room. In hindsight, hitting Matt probably wasn't the wisest thing she'd ever done. It wasn't exactly brutal, more of a warning slap, but now as she stood by herself reliving the moment her relationship with the tall blonde changed, she wondered what the hell had gotten into her. She'd wanted it. In truth, she'd probably wanted him to kiss her when she first saw him after returning home from college, so why did she reject him when he finally did? It could have been the setting it had happened in – after all, not moments before his lips touched hers, he'd been shouting at her. The atmosphere had been pretty tense, and she'd been yelling too. She hadn't wanted to give in, hadn't wanted to let him know he'd won. She didn't want him to think she was a pushover.

_Oh_. That was it.

She was being stubborn.

Another unfortunate Kamiya trait.

'Oh lord,' she sighed under her breath.

She stood there, with the back of her head resting on the wall behind her exasperatedly, when she felt someone nudge her arm. She turned her head slightly to see Yolei carrying a tray of colourful shot glasses.

'Hey birthday girl, would you like a-'

'-Yes,' Kari replied before her friend had the chance to finish her question, picking two glasses from the tray and downing them one after the other.

'Easy, tiger,' Yolei laughed.

_Easy tiger. _Matt had said that to her before. Just after she'd come home. Damn it. _Get out of my head! _She groaned loudly and took another glass. She swallowed the luminous green liquid, revelling in the burning sensation it gave her as it flowed down her throat.

'Shit,' she said aloud.

Yolei frowned. 'Everything ok, Kar? You do like the party, don't you?'

Kari placed a hand on Yolei's shoulder and sighed. 'Yes. Of course, it's brilliant, thank you. _You're_ brilliant,' she said, planting a kiss on the girl's cheek. 'Just a… um… family drama.'

'Oh,' replied Yolei, winking. 'That brother of yours can be a difficult one sometimes, can't he?'

The brunette nodded with a grin and rolled her eyes. Yolei left to hand out more shots, and Kari frowned. She didn't like lying to her friends. It just wasn't something she did. But then, it wasn't much of a lie. The only reason she had to keep her current predicament to herself was because there certainly _would_ be a family drama if it happened to reach Tai's ears. Kari groaned. It was so ironic. Her brother had always told her not to bottle up her feelings, and to always talk about her problems, but he was the last person she wanted to talk to about her messed up emotions right then. She glanced at the guests in front of her, completely oblivious to the sulking girl in the corner, laughing and drinking and generally enjoying themselves. Each one of them must have had their own problems, but they didn't let it show. They weren't letting it affect their night. Why should she? Kari pursed her lips in determination and took a few steps forward, sneakily plucking another shot from the tray as Yolei bustled past her once more. She downed it quickly, wincing at the burn, and put the glass on a table, wandering around the room looking for someone to take her mind off things. It was then that she spotted Sora. Probably not the best option when she was trying to _forget _about Matt for a while, but Sora was drunk. Very drunk. She held her phone to her ear, chatting relatively quietly considering the music was pretty loud, but she had to lean on the wall to keep herself upright. Perfect. She'd get very drunk with her, and they talk about anything and everything _except _Matt, and then they'd probably pass out and not remember any of it in the morning. _Better than sulking, _thought Kari. She approached the redhead, who proceeded to turn her back to Kari, mumbling something into her phone and ending the call quickly, then turning back to her with a grin.

'There's our birthday girl,' she called out loudly.

'Bit drunk?' asked Kari mischievously.

'_Bit drunk?_ Sweetie, I am wasted,' she giggled.

'No shit, I'm surprised you managed to answer your phone,' said Kari with a wink. She looked around, half expecting to see Tai appear from nowhere and chastise her for swearing. He didn't.

Sora blushed. _Why was she blushing? _'Oh, yeah. It was my mother. You know how parents are,' she replied hurriedly.

The younger girl frowned a little. 'I do,' she replied suspiciously. Sora was acting oddly, and it wasn't because she was drunk. But whatever. Kari was in no position to judge. She had her own demons. She grinned wickedly as Sora delved into her bag and emerged with a bottle of vodka.

'Between you and me?' she winked.

'Sure. I mean, who wants to share, right? No one has to know,' Kari whispered dramatically, and Sora giggled, handing her the bottle. She took it gratefully, taking comfort in the idea that she would be distracted by the time the bottle was empty. 'Cheers,' she said with a smile, and took a gulp, almost tearing up at the taste and sensation.

_Happy fucking birthday to me._

* * *

'I fucked up, dude.'

'Ok, firstly, don't call me dude, I'm a fucking lady, treat me like one. Secondly, what the hell did you do?'

Had Matt not been so agitated, he would have smirked at Mimi's reference to herself as a lady following the curse word she had just used. As it happened, he _was _agitated, and he didn't feel much like offering any kind of smile when all he wanted to do was hit his head against the wall. He slumped against said wall and put his head in his hands, feeling the effects of the alcohol he'd consumed in an excessive quantity begin to wash over him. He hadn't planned on getting drunk, but then, he hadn't planned on being rejected for the first time in his life, either. He groaned.

'I kissed her.'

Mimi sighed. 'Should have known,' she said. 'She didn't take it too well, then?'

Matt looked up at her incredulously. 'She slapped me,' he said, pointing to the pink mark on his cheek. Mimi's eyes widened.

'Wow, she's a feisty one, isn't she?'

'That she is.'

'Did she not say anything?'

'No. Kind of. I dunno, this is what I'm confused about. She said she liked me, Meems. And she said that it was my fault that she liked me because I messed with her head or some shit, and we argued.' He looked up at Mimi, who sat next to him on the cold patio slabs of concrete, hugging her knees to her chest in the cool evening air. She glanced back at him over her knees and pursed her lips.

'Oh, Yama. I don't know what to tell you.'

'Makes a change.' Matt managed a small smile as his friend looked at him in what could only be described as pity. He sighed loudly. 'I love her, Meems.'

Mimi nodded sadly. 'I already knew that,' she said quietly. She held out an arm. 'Come here, sweetie.' He shuffled closer to her and leaned on her as she draped her arm around his shoulders. He was pretty sure that his masculinity should have come into question as he sat there, resting his head on his friend like a newly-dumped teenage girl, but he didn't care. Mimi stroked his hair as she rested her chin on his head and he relished in the warm sensation of having such a lovely, caring friend.

'Remember when you used to do this for me when I was sad?' she asked quietly.

'Yeah. And Tai would get all grumpy and jealous.'

Mimi giggled. 'He didn't mind really. He knew he was pretty useless in those kinds of situations,' she said. 'Still is, sometimes.'

'I dunno. He seems a little more sensitive these days. Looks like you've got him well trained.'

'So it would seem.' Mimi laughed once more. 'I do love him, Yama. I've got to admit, I'm a teeny tiny bit worried about how he'd react to your little predicament. I don't want to see him get hurt.'

'And you think I do?' Matt asked, still resting on his friend. 'I love that guy, Meems. I've known him pretty much all my life. I certainly didn't plan on falling in love with his sister. It's so fucked up. It's like, just a few weeks ago she was a friend. And now I can barely breathe when I see her because my heart's thumping so damn hard, and all I wanna do is kiss her and share everything with her. She's different from every other girl I've been with; she's long-term. The kinda girl I'd be more than willing to share my life with, and believe me, I never thought I'd say that. She's sweet and loyal and warm and funny, and never in my life have I been as caught up with anyone as I am with her. She's a good girl. And I'm just… _bad. _Bad for her, bad for even thinking all this stuff. I know she deserves better than someone who's fucked half of fucking Odaiba, but I swear, she'll never find anyone who loves her the way I do.'

There was a long silence before he flinched at the feel of Mimi nudging him softly, and he lifted his head, returning to an upright sitting position.

Mimi looked at him sternly. 'You're serious about her, aren't you?'

Matt sighed. 'More serious than I've ever been in my life.'

She nodded. 'You wanna know what I think?'

'Sure.'

'I think that Kari freaked out because you caught her off-guard while she was trying to stand her ground. Tai's exactly the same, if we fight and I try and make it up to him, he'll still sulk because he's stubborn like that. If we're being honest, I can't say I'm much different, but I usually get flowers or chocolate by being sulky,' she winked. 'If you want her to hear you out so badly, I think you're gonna have to sweeten her up a little.'

Matt snorted. 'Are you telling me I have to beg? Because believe me baby, Yamato Ishida does not beg.'

Mimi giggled. 'Can you hear yourself right now? I'm not telling you to beg. I'm just saying, grovel a little. Apologise for freaking her out and ask _nicely _if she'll listen to you explain. Don't _tell _her to listen to you. _Ask _her.'

'And if she agrees to talk to me? Then what? What do I tell her?'

Mimi smiled. 'Everything you just told me.'

'But… Tai-'

'-Tai doesn't have to know yet. No one does. You guys need to sort yourselves out before anyone else can get involved. I'm not going to tell him. It's not my place. I'll leave that to you guys if you decide to… you know. And if you don't… well then, we'll just move on and pretend it never happened. That way no one ever has to find out.'

Matt rolled his eyes. 'Easier said than done.'

'I know, sweetie. But what would be the point in getting Tai all riled up over something that isn't happening?'

'I guess.'

'Look,' said Mimi as she stood up, placing one hand on her hip and another on her small bump. 'If Kari is anything like Tai, she'll be drinking herself into oblivion to forget what just happened, so if you don't go get her now, you'll have missed your chance and you'll have to wait until her raging hangover passes to even approach her. So get your ass up and go find her. I'll keep Tai distracted.' She reached for his hand and pulled him upright. He looked at her as she cradled her swollen tummy. His beautiful childhood friend, all grown up and bringing life into the world. It wasn't something he'd ever wanted, but as he took in the small smile on her face and the contentment she'd exuded over the past few weeks (not including the times she was being violently sick), he felt his heart swell with happiness for her. He reached out and wrapped his arms around her gently.

'Love you,' he said.

'Love you too. Now do as you're told.'

'She bossing you around too, Ishida?' Tai's voice caused them both to jump and they looked at him sharply.

'Christ, you almost gave me a heart attack,' said Matt.

'Cry me a river Ishida, I think _I _just went into labour,' Mimi added. She turned to Tai and pointed at him, frowning. 'Wait, how long have you been there?'

'Long enough to know my best friend's trying it on with my missus,' smirked Tai.

Mimi giggled uncertainly.

Matt snorted. 'Well, I have to go… to the bathroom,' he said.

'Alright dude. You wanna stay at ours tonight? It'll save you paying for a cab.'

It wasn't a bad idea. He was already feeling a little drunk, and he had a feeling he was going to be drinking more as the night went on, so crashing at Tai's sounded reasonable, especially since the Kamiyas' apartment was only a short walk away from Yolei's place.

'Sure, thanks man.'

Mimi brushed his wrist with her hand as he made to leave, and he glanced back briefly to see her shoot him a 'good luck' expression. He gave a subtle nod, squeezed Tai's shoulder as he passed, and left the couple to their own devices.

'Is he ok? He heard Tai ask Mimi.

'Yeah, he's just stressed out with TK,' she lied.

He smiled to himself. She was such a good friend. He made a mental note to buy her something pretty in return for being awesome. But first, he needed to sort out his mess of a love life. And he still didn't exactly know how.

* * *

Kari giggled tipsily as she held tightly onto Sora's hand. The two were at entirely different levels of inebriation – Kari was just drunk enough to dance and sing loudly without worrying about people watching, and Sora was another story completely. She swayed dangerously, her face was pink, and had Kari not been drinking, she would have worried about her friend throwing up on her. Her worries, guilt and annoyance were slowly beginning to fade, and she found that the more she drank, the more comfortable she felt being so friendly with Sora, even though she had just shared a moment with her ex. The pair's antics were disrupted when the music started skipping and everyone groaned.

'Relax guys, I'll sort it!' Izzy's voice sounded from somewhere in the room, and Kari smirked. That man new how to fix everything.

'Hey, come with me, there's something I wanna tell you.' Sora grabbed Kari's hand once more and dragged her to the stairs, where they perched on the bottom step. Kari reached for Sora's arm when the redhead drunkenly slipped off the step and landed on her behind, a mixture of laughter and grumbles falling from her lips as she abandoned her attempts to get back up. Kari snorted loudly.

'You're such an idiot,' she giggled in a drunken haze.

'It's the best way to be, baby,' she replied with a sarcastic 'matter-of-fact' expression.

'What did you wanna tell me?'

Sora glanced up at the girl still perched on the step and frowned. 'I can't remember,' she said.

Kari's jaw dropped. 'Don't play me like that, bitch! Think!'

A loud laugh escaped Sora as she fumbled in her pocket for something. Her manicured hand emerged with her phone, which was vibrating and flashing. Kari couldn't see the name on the screen, but whoever it was found themselves ignored as Sora rejected the call and replaced her phone. 'Now I remember,' she slurred.

Kari edged closer to her, eager to hear what she had to say. 'Ooh, what, what?'

'Well,' said Sora, putting a hand on the curious girl's knee. 'I just wanted to say that I've been thinking about what TK said that night at mine.'

The younger girl froze. 'Oh?'

'Yeah. And sure, the idea of you and Matt is fucking crazy, right?'

Kari narrowed her eyes, partly in annoyance and partly in suspicion. 'Yes.'

'But,' Sora continued, 'you know… if it were to happen… I'd be ok with that.'

A silence fell upon the pair as Kari stared in shock at her friend. Confusion clouded her mind. Alcohol made people speak with honesty, not give them changes of heart.

'Oh? So, um… what's with the change in attitude?' she stuttered.

'Like I said, I've just been thinking about it a lot. Stuff has happened. And I just… I dunno, I just think you can't help who you fall for, right?'

'I haven't fallen for him, Sor.' _A lie. _'And anyway, what's happened? What makes you say all this?'

Sora giggled and lowered her voice, leaning closer to Kari. 'I have a secret,' she whispered. 'Wanna hear it?'

Curious as Kari was, she wasn't the type of girl to go delving into people's personal secrets and she certainly wasn't the type to take advantage of someone as drunk as Sora. 'Not much of a secret if you're telling me, is it?' She silently cursed herself for her decency. Something about the expression on Sora's face told her that it was big, the kind of thing she'd regret saying in the morning. But Kari was in no position to get it out of her, and allowing her to spill her guts would be irresponsible of the more (but not entirely) sober friend.

'It's ok, I trust you. That's what's so great about, you Kar. You're so honest and trustworthy, and we love you for it,' Sora gushed. Kari frowned a little. She wasn't being entirely honest, and it bothered her to know that people thought she was. Sora continued. 'So I can totally tell you. I know you won't tell anyone.' Kari sighed. She wasn't going to be able to stop her friend, so she simply rolled her eyes and waited for the burden to be loaded onto her. 'I've been-'

A deep rumble interrupted Sora, much to the relief of Kari, and the speakers thumped into life once more, making both girls jump and smile as they heard the gleeful cheers of the other guests.

'Hey, Sora!' Tai's loud voice sounded from a few feet away, and the girls looked up at him. 'Come over here, you need to hear this joke, it's fucking hilarious. Davis! Davis, get your ass back over here and tell it again.'

Sora stood up warily, still swaying slightly and needing to hold onto the wall support. She turned back to Kari. 'Another time,' she said simply.

Kari nodded, knowing full well that Sora would not bring up the topic until the next time she was drunk, by which time Kari would probably be back in college. _Oh shit. College. _She'd forgotten about that. So that settled it. Nothing could happen with Matt anyway, because she wouldn't even be home for long enough to make it work. She groaned loudly and put her head in her hands. _Back to thinking about him, then. _As though a sign was trying to present itself to her, she glanced up to see a tall figure in the doorway, looking down at her with hands firmly in pockets.

'Oh,' she said, trying to sound as irritated as possible. 'It's you.'

'Can I talk to you?' asked Matt. 'Please?'

Kari found herself annoyed at herself to no end when just the sound of his voice made her knees weak. She told herself that it would only be right to refuse, to not let it go any further, but oh, he was so handsome, and the memory of his hands on her skin made her shiver. She rolled her eyes at her own weakness. 'You have five minutes,' she said, heading up the stairs and back to the bathroom that held a guilty secret. Kari strode into the bathroom, allowing Matt to enter before shutting the door behind her. 'Five minutes,' she reminded him. 'Go.'

Matt took a deep breath. 'I'm sorry that I caught you off guard, Kari. And I'm sorry if you thought I was out of line. To be honest, I probably was. But it's hard to control myself around you, and I just couldn't let you leave without telling you how I felt. The truth is, I've never felt like this before and it freaks me the fuck out.'

'Charming,' she said, folding her arms.

'I'm serious, Kar. I'm confused by it to no end, so I don't know how to act around you. I just… I freaked out when I thought you were going to walk out on me and I just did the thing my gut told me to. And I'm sorry.'

Kari sighed quietly and her stance softened. _Why am I being so damn stubborn? _She asked herself. She groaned a little and sat on the side of the bathtub.

'No,' she said after what seemed like an age. 'I'm sorry.'

Matt frowned. 'You? What for?'

'For… that.' She gestured to his cheek, which her palm had collided with previously. 'I freaked out too,' she admitted.

'No shit.'

She glared at him. 'Less of the sarcasm.' Another sigh escaped her lips and she chewed on her bottom lip nervously as she attempted to plan her next words, to no avail. She was just a little too drunk to think straight. Honesty really was the only option. 'I wanted you to do that,' she whispered, staring at her hands, which lay clasped in her lap. 'But it's… you. It's not supposed to be you. Every time I think about you, it's like Tai is just chilling on a couch in the back of my fucking mind, watching me and judging my thoughts.'

Matt tried his hardest to hide his smirk, but failed spectacularly. He dipped his head and hoped she couldn't see it. 'So, that's it?' he asked, attempting to mask his amusement. 'You're worried about what Tai will think?'

'That, and the fact that it's so sudden. Look at your history with girls, Matt. You must see why I'm a little wary of you.'

'Yeah, I understand that,' he agreed, nodding. 'But what _you _have to understand is that I've never told anyone what I told you.'

Kari thought back to his words, the memory making her heart clench. He'd blurted it suddenly, his voice loud in his anger or frustration, or whatever it had been. It had sounded so serious, so powerful, so… honest. It had made her knees weak in the second before he'd claimed her lips. It had been like music, a song she couldn't get enough of.

'Say it again,' she said quietly.

Matt sighed and reached for one of her hands, pulling her to stand in front of him. She was fairly tall, like her brother and father, and he didn't have to bend his head too far to look at her. He liked that. He kept a hold on her hand and placed his free hand under her chin, brushing her jawline with his thumb.

'I love you,' he said. 'And I have to have you in my life, whether you feel the same or not. I know it's gonna be hard to go back to the way things were, but I have to try. I need you, Kari.'

She looked into his blue eyes and saw the honesty swimming in them. Thoughts of Tai left her head, followed by thoughts of college, TK, Sora, and what her parents would think. It was just the two of them, standing in front of each other, like no one else existed.

'I love you, too,' she whispered. She watched as he bent his head closer to her face, and she knew that he was nervously waiting for her permission. She granted it, taking her hand from him and wrapping her arms around his neck, placing her lips on his and kissing him with all the frustration, all the fiery passion, and all the desperate need that had built up in such a short amount of time. His arms snaked around her, pulling her closer to him and keeping one hand on the small of her back and letting his other wander further up to rest on her falling strands of dark hair. Kari let her head fall back as he trailed kisses down her neck and along her collarbone before moving back to her lips, biting her neck lightly on the way. She sighed softly before feeling his lips press against hers again, more roughly this time, and she moaned into his mouth. A low groan rumbled in Matt's throat and she pressed herself even harder against him. She didn't know if it was the alcohol in her system that had her wound up so tightly, but the only thing on her mind was him, and how much she needed him, in every sense of the word. She probably would have allowed him to take her too, right there and then, had it not been for the knock on the door.

'Yama? Kar?'

Kari's eyes widened at the sound of Mimi's voice. She glared at Matt, her fingers still entwined in his thick blonde hair. 'How did she know we were up here?'

'Quit trying to whisper, your voice is like a foghorn when you're drunk, baby girl,' chortled Mimi.

'Damn it,' Kari hissed through gritted teeth.

Matt chuckled quietly. 'She's ok, Kar.'

'Are you telling me she knows?'

'She knew even before I did,' he said with an amused smirk.

'Shit.'

'Don't freak out, she totally gets it. And trust me, she's not telling anyone.'

The pair heard a loud sigh as Mimi began to tap her foot impatiently. 'Are you guys gonna open the door or what, because I'm getting pretty bored. And Tai's gonna start wondering where I am.'

Matt rolled his eyes and wandered over to the door, opening it and looking around to see if anyone was around. Just Mimi. She sighed as her eyes landed on Kari, who stared at the floor guiltily.

'I'm sorry I interrupted your little session, or whatever this was,' she said casually waving her hand at the two. 'But being knocked up has taken it out of me a little and I'm tired as fuck so me and Tai are going home. You guys coming? You're still staying at ours, right Ishida?'

'Uh, yeah. Sure. Just give us a moment, Meems.'

'Alright. Don't worry about leaving your own party, Kar. Yolei says everyone's too drunk to notice anyway. Tai just had to lift Sora out of the bin.' She looked at Kari and Matt with their raised eyebrows. 'She fell,' Mimi explained. 'Head first. It was tragic.'

Matt shook his head with a snort, and Kari stood still. She still couldn't quite get her head around the fact that Mimi was being so casual, knowing what was going on. She was still confused when Mimi left, shutting the door behind her and giving the couple some privacy. Matt turned to her and took both of her hands in his.

'Before we leave this room, I need to know what this is,' he said hurriedly.

'What do you mean?'

'_This. _What do you want out of this, Kari? Because I want to be with you, but I don't want to push you into anything you're not sure about.'

Kari thought as hard as her tipsy mind would allow her to. 'It'll just be between me and you, right?'

'Right,' he said. 'With the exception of Mimi, but she won't tell anyway. I swear, Kari, this can stay a secret for as long as you want. I'm not gonna make you do anything you don't want to.'

She looked at him and saw the urgency in his eyes. 'Ok.'

'Ok?'

'Yeah.'

Matt raised an eyebrow. 'You really wanna do this?'

Kari stared hard at him. 'I really, _really _wanna do this.'

He bent his head slightly and planted a soft kiss on the girl's lips. She closed her eyes and relished in the feel of his warm lips on hers. The only thing on her mind was him, and how strong her feelings for him had grown in such a short time. Nothing else mattered. Her worries could wait, she decided. Tai, Sora, her friends and family, they could all wait.

As for college…

Well, she'd just have to cross that bridge when she came to it.

* * *

**Thank you for reading, hope you enjoyed it. Right, I'm off to start the next chapter. Til next week, ciao :P**


	10. Chapter 10

**Thank you for being such saints and bearing with me while I dragged this chapter together. Writer's block is a real bitch, isn't it? -.- Anyhoo, here's chapter ten. It's probably a little messy because I haven't fully checked it and I feel like being a risky little bastard ;) Haha thank you to my lovely reviewers, I'm glad you're enjoying the story so far, and I hope this chapter satisfies you too :) Oh, and pleeease do let me know if something doesn't make sense so I can change it before anyone else notices :P hehe!  
**

**There's much much Yakari in this one... but without giving too much away, I'll tell you that there's some sad news at the end... YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!**

**I'm currently working on chapter eleven, so fingers crossed I don't struggle with that one as much as I did with this one -.-**

**Til next time :)**

* * *

**CHAPTER TEN**

It had been a week.

A whole blissful week since that fateful night, when everything in Kari's life changed. It wasn't just her feelings towards Matt that had taken a turn; she found herself becoming increasingly isolated from her brother, in the worry that he may become suspicious when he was with her and Matt at the same time. She felt guilty for that. Although Tai hadn't specifically asked her if anything was wrong, she knew that it was only a matter of time before he'd start to worry about her apparent avoiding of him. She often thought about the consequences of actions –it was one of the things that made her so sensible- but this time, whenever she considered the potential reactions of her friends and family, thoughts of Matt filled her head and it all seemed so… worth it. Still, there was no point in anyone becoming suspicious as of yet. It was personal; private. No one's business but their own. So Kari had not seen Matt at all since the party, to stay on the safe side. She hadn't even seen him the next day – she'd woken in the morning only to wander into the living room and find an empty couch. He must have left pretty early, but Kari could understand that. The potentially awkward conversation that would have followed was not one that she would have liked to have while her brother and parents were still sleeping just down the hallway. Nevertheless, the following week was filled with flirty text messages and secretive phone calls, and they had both found themselves becoming frustrated with the lack of physical contact. So they'd arranged a meeting in secret. She'd say she was going to a friend's or something. Kari couldn't lie – she felt naughty for sneaking around, but this way, no one was getting hurt.

She smiled as she realised that her attitude towards taking risks had changed dramatically. And she liked it. Her phone suddenly vibrated loudly on the nightstand, bringing her out of her thoughts and making her jump, and she reached out for it quickly, as though she was angry with it. _Stupid thing's gonna give me a heart attack one of these days, _she thought bitterly. Her frustrated mood quickly cleared when she opened the message.

_Good morning, beautiful. We still on for tonight? X_

Kari smiled.

_Good morning yourself. Of course, how could I say no? x_

She figured that she should make a move. Mimi wanted her to go with her to pick out paint for her babies' nursery. She and Tai had got the house they'd put in an offer for, and Mimi couldn't move in fast enough. It was as though the babies were coming _now _and she had to have everything ready in a day. Kari had never seen a person so excited, and it made her happy. Mimi was yet to mention Matt to her, and Kari was beginning to wonder if she had forgotten, before realising that that was ridiculous. She was probably just going to lengths to ensure it stayed secret, too. Tai was spending the day with Matt, Izzy and Sora, moving the couple's belongings to the new house. Kari had initially wondered why Sora wasn't going shopping with herself and Mimi, but then remembered that she wasn't really the shopping type, and even less the baby type. Sora was more hands-on, preferring to help the boys with their manual labour, rather than nit-pick about paint and colour themes. It was almost guaranteed that Sora would instead actually be doing the painting. She'd been tomboyish since childhood, preferring to play with a soccer ball in the mud than dress up and play princesses, and it was either weird or amazing that she and Mimi had turned out to be such good friends. They were polar opposites.

Kari left her bedroom after dressing in a fitted white t-shirt and skinny jeans, and wandered down the hallway towards the kitchen. She grimaced as she passed the bathroom. Mimi was throwing her guts up again.

'Poor girl,' she said quietly.

Tai was already up and dressed, much to her surprise, and was sitting at the table holding a slice of toast in one hand and playing some type of fast-paced game on his phone with the other. Their mother was busying herself with the washing up behind him. Kari coughed quietly, and Tai glanced up at her.

'Morning,' he said simply. He looked back at his phone and groaned. 'I lost! Damn it! So close!'

Kari frowned. 'You _are _aware that your fiancée is currently dying, right?'

'Don't be so dramatic,' said Tai, turning his attention back to his toast. 'It's just morning sickness.'

'Really? Because it kinda sounds like someone's performing an exorcism on her.' She folded her arms. 'Shouldn't you be, I dunno… rubbing her back or trying to make her feel better or something?'

'No point, she won't let me near her,' Tai replied. 'Says it's embarrassing because she feels disgusting.' He shook his head. 'I told her she's still beautiful, but you know Mimi. Not having any of it.'

Kari smiled a little at her brother's affection towards his fiancée. His love for her was so obvious. She was his queen.

'Your stubbornness must have rubbed off on her,' she said.

'You wouldn't be talking about me now, would you?' Mimi appeared in the doorway, her face pale but her hair done and her makeup applied.

Tai swallowed the last of his toast and stood up. 'Would I ever, baby?' He walked over to Mimi and planted a kiss on her cheek while she gave him a loving smile in return. 'Looking beautiful as ever, Miss Tachikawa.'

Mrs Kamiya made gagging noises from where she stood at the sink and Kari smirked.

Tai looked at his mother. 'Come on, mom, you were young once too.'

The older woman turned around, a false look of shock on her face. 'What do you mean 'once'? I'm still young! I can still party like you kids!' She did a funny little dance and wiggled her behind as she returned to the dishes.

Kari winced. 'Oh mom, please, don't. It's cringe worthy.'

'Are you having some kind of mid-life crisis?' Tai added.

The siblings laughed and Mimi shook her head with a smile.

'Ignore them, Yuuko,' she said reassuringly. 'You're only as old as you feel, ain't that right?'

'You know it, girlfriend.'

Mimi giggled and turned to Kari, who was still clearly cringing at her mother's attitude. 'You ready to go?'

'Yep.'

'Let's go, then. Wait…' Mimi held her bump with one hand and covered her mouth with the other before running back to the bathroom and emptying her stomach again. All three Kamiyas shuddered.

Kari sighed.

_It's gonna be a long day._

* * *

_What are u up to today then, gorgeous? X_

Matt smirked as he sent his text in the privacy of Tai's new bathroom. He could hardly believe what he was doing. There was a part of him that believed it was wrong, but it was exactly that part that made him feel so alive. The risk, the secrecy, the intimacy of it all – it excited him, sent his blood rushing through his veins like fire, made his heart pound in exhilaration. He'd never felt that way before; at first it had bothered him to no end, but he began to relish in the feeling Kari ignited in him, and soon enough it became the very feeling he breathed for. The knowledge that he was doing something so… _forbidden _gave him a rush he'd never experienced before, and in his own opinion, it was so much more intense than the mindless sex he was used to. What he was felt for those girls was purely lust, but Kari was different. He loved her, he knew that now. And while on the outside his demeanour remained as cool and composed as ever, his insides felt as though they were working overtime; his heart pounded at the thought of seeing her again soon, his stomach knotted with nerves, and his blood heated at the idea of being alone with her. It's not that all he wanted from her was sex, far from it, but knowing that the opportunity could be there was a thrill in itself.

A smirk formed on his lips until he was bought out of his thoughts by the shrill beep of his phone.

_Went shopping with Mimi, but she's not feeling well at all so we came home early. U still at Tai's? x_

Matt frowned. He felt for Mimi, he really did. Pregnancy was supposed to be a beautiful experience, but hers had taken her energy, made her so sick he wondered if it was normal, and just the day before, she had been complaining of pains. Of course, Tai had left work at the mention of this and taken her straight to the doctors, but everything had seemed fine. The poor girl was really having a tough time of it, and he was looking forward to the day it would be over for her and she could just enjoy her babies.

_How's she doing? Yeah I'm still here, just gotta haul Mimi's big ass closet upstairs and we'll be done x_

A small twinge of satisfaction prodded at him as he received Kari's reply in less than a minute, telling him that she had probably been waiting for his text.

_Alright. Meet me where we said when you're done. Mimi's ok, I think. She's asleep xx P.S remind me to never have children. She's put me off for life._

Matt chuckled to himself and almost jumped out of his skin when he heard banging on the door.

'Seriously dude, what's with the beeping? Who are you texting that could possibly be more important than actually _helping _us?' Tai asked sarcastically.

Matt held back a snort. _If only he knew. _The twisted sense of amusement quickly dissolved though, when he felt a pang of guilt take its place. _He'll fucking kill me when he finds out._

'Wouldn't you like to know?' Matt replied. 'I'm done here, anyway.'

'Well hurry up because I need to get back to Mimi. Oh, and Ishida?'

'Hmm?'

'The girl you're obviously texting in there… is she hot?'

_Shit._

'Like you wouldn't believe.'

Tai chuckled. 'Good man.'

_Fucking hell._

* * *

Peering around the door, Kari glanced at Mimi, who slept soundly in the younger girl's bed, since her own bed had been moved into the new house. Mimi had not mentioned Matt once to Kari, and it seemed a little odd. Mimi had approved – encouraged it, even – and there was no doubt that she loved to gossip. So Kari could have been forgiven for thinking that maybe her future sister-in-law had gone off the idea completely and believed that they were making some kind of mistake. Still, Kari figured that she had a right to know that she was going out, so that she wouldn't worry when she woke up. It was three in the afternoon, and with the exception of the two girls, the apartment was empty. It seemed a little strange; there was always someone busying themselves, and Kari suddenly felt slightly awkward as she practically tiptoed to her room and sat down on the bed carefully.

'Meems?'

Mimi stirred slightly.

'Hmm?'

'I'm going out. You gonna be ok on your own?'

'Of course,' mumbled Mimi. 'Go out, have fun.'

'Alright. Text me or Tai if you need anything, ok?'

'Ok.' Mimi rolled onto her side and curled her legs so that her knees were near her bump. Pregnancy was really taking it out of her. Kari pushed a lock of pink hair away from the pale girl's face. She wished she didn't feel so rotten. All she'd wanted was to enjoy her pregnancy, but now everyone was just waiting for the day when the sickness stopped. Poor Mimi.

'See you later.'

'See you. Oh, and Kari?'

'Yeah?' Kari stopped near the door.

'Tell Matt I said hi.' Mimi smirked at the younger girl's raised eyebrow and sighed a little. 'I'm not stupid, hon. Just… be careful. I really don't want this going tits up… for either of you. As for Tai… I'll cover you.'

'Thanks Meems.' And with that, Kari shut the door quietly, leaning against it for a moment before leaving the apartment, picking up her bag on the way. She had yet to get a car, and the weather currently left a lot to be desired, so she was thankful when she spotted Matt waiting where he said he would be, parked near the library.

'Look at what the cat dragged in,' he said with a smirk when she got in his car and ran her fingers through her damp hair.

'Shut up you. In case you hadn't noticed, the weather's grim.'

He laughed. 'You're still beautiful.'

Kari blushed and a smile tugged at her lips.

The drive to Matt's wasn't a long one, and for a while it was filled with quiet music and general chit-chat. Kari found herself feeling a little awkward when conversation ran dry. Of course, she'd been in Matt's car before, but this time it was under different circumstances, and she found that she couldn't seem to find anything interesting to say.

'You can stay over tonight if you want. TK will be out all night.' Matt's voice pierced the silence and she looked at him.

'Oh, uh-'

'I'm sorry, that sounded more hinty than I would have liked it to. No pressure.'

Kari raised an eyebrow. 'Hinty? Is that even a word?'

'That is _so _a word.'

'I don't think it is.'

Matt smirked. 'Alright, wise-ass.' He glanced at her quickly before turning his eyes back to the road. 'I'm serious, though. Don't feel like you have to do anything you don't want to.'

'Oh, no, of course.' She looked ahead. 'It's just, you know what my parents are like, not to mention Tai. Mimi can only cover me for so long and I don't wanna raise too much suspicion yet. It's probably best if I stay at home tonight.'

'Right. That's ok. So what do you wanna do tonight?'

Kari looked at him. He was so damn handsome, she didn't know how she'd gotten so lucky. Kari considered herself to be moderately attractive and a lack of self-esteem had never been an issue for her, partly because her appearance had never been at the top of her list of priorities. Matt was on another level entirely - at least in her eyes - and she doubted that she even held a candle to the girls he'd been with. But Kari had rarely been plagued with insecurities and at that moment, she couldn't bring herself to feel inferior to him. She could only thank her lucky stars that someone as caring, deep and talented as Yamato Ishida would choose someone as… _normal _as her. Little did she know that he thought she was the most amazing woman he'd ever met.

'Anything you want,' she replied with a small smile.

Matt whistled long and low. 'That could be dangerous,' he said with a smirk.

Kari simply giggled as Matt pulled to a stop outside his apartment and she gazed up at the building. _This is it, _she thought. _Actual time alone. To do what we want. Oh jeez. _A shiver ran down her spine. A mixture of nerves and anticipation. It was only when she considered the possibilities that came from being alone with him that she felt her emotions shift. Simple affection turned into something stronger as a feeling of desire took its place. She wanted him badly. She'd wanted him for some time, but only now did she realise the intensity of that longing. Matt took her hand as they walked towards the building and she made herself a silent promise. Nothing would happen until she was sure she was ready. And she'd only know for certain when the moment came.

The apartment seemed bigger than any other time Kari had seen it, probably due to her sudden awareness of the situation she was in. She obliged when Matt told her to sit down, and she twiddled her thumbs nervously, trying to halt the many thoughts and emotions running through her mind.

'You want a drink?' asked Matt.

'No. Thank you,' she replied, and Matt shrugged, throwing himself over the couch lazily to sit beside her. The pair jumped slightly as Kari's phone began to ring loudly in her bag. She cursed under her breath. _Now is really not the time, _she thought.

'You not gonna answer that?'

She shook her head. 'Can't be that important.'

Matt shrugged and reached for the remote control. 'What do you want to watch?'

'I don't mind,' said Kari.

He smirked as he glanced at her. 'You're hard work, you know that?'

'I'm sorry.'

Matt chuckled. 'I was kidding. But seriously, we can do anything you want.'

Kari sighed quietly as the thoughts in her head finally settled. She looked at him, all blue eyes and messy blonde hair and cocked her head slightly. Her mind took her back to every time he had looked out for her, every time he had protected her, every time he had proved that she was important to him. Her heart started to beat rapidly as she realised the intensity of the love she felt for him. Everything suddenly made sense. She didn't just want him, she needed him. She was more than ready.

_Deep breath, Kari_. 'Anything?'

Matt shrugged. 'Anything at all.'

She swallowed and leaned forward, kissing him. It started out soft, but as she pressed herself to him and felt his arms wrap around her waist, it deepened and before she knew it, she was in his lap, straddling him and relishing in the sensation of his lips pressed roughly against hers. Her fists curled, grasping his t-shirt as though clinging to it would save her life, and she let her head fall back as he planted soft kisses down her neck and along her collarbone before bringing his mouth back to hers. She lowered her hands and lifted his t-shirt over his head, sitting back for a moment to admire his strong physique and kissing him hard again. Her mind began to race again, but this time nothing had ever been clearer to her. She loved him, and she needed to show him how much. She raised her arms as she allowed him to remove her own t-shirt and giggled as he pulled a bra strap down to rest on her arm and kissed along her shoulder and chest. He continued to move further down until she grasped his hair lightly and pulled his head back to look at her.

_Ready._

'Take me to bed,' she said quietly.

Matt didn't need to be told twice. He shifted and scooped her up in his arms swiftly, carrying her to his bedroom and setting her down gently on his neatly made bed. Kari was momentarily surprised by how tidy his room was, considering that Matt was usually anything but a perfectionist, and wondered if he paid someone to clean his house – he was considerably well off after all – but she was bought out of her curiosity when he kissed her again. She rolled him over and pushed him back gently so that he was sitting with his back against the headboard and straddled him once more, sighing softly as she felt him running his hands up and down her back. He fumbled slightly as he undid the button of Kari's jeans, smirking as she clumsily kicked them off and returned to her original position wearing only her underwear. The girl was even more beautiful than he'd ever seen her. Her skin was soft and flawless, apart from the scar on her abdomen from an operation she'd had as a young teen. He remembered that day; she'd been taken to hospital with unbearable pains. Tai and their parents had been beside themselves with worry, and Matt had refused to leave Tai for fear that the older sibling might have some kind of breakdown. In the end, Kari was diagnosed and taken for surgery, having her appendix removed. The incision had left a mark when it healed. It was the first time Matt had seen it, but it only added to her appeal. A reminder of having pulled through painful times. He brushed his thumb over it gently and Kari swatted his hand away.

'It's horrible,' she said.

'It's not,' he replied, and he pulled her closer to him.

She smiled and kissed him once more. Suddenly the intensity of her situation hit her like a speeding train and she pulled back. She wanted this. She wanted him. But she wasn't experienced. She knew of his antics, his history with women, and she didn't want him to think she was no good.

She placed her hands on his chest and pushed away from him slightly.

'Wait, Matt. I'm not too confident about this.'

Matt raised an eyebrow. 'You mean you don't wanna do it anymore? Because that's ok, I don't want to push you.'

'No, I want to. I really want to. It's just… I haven't done this much. It's still kinda new to me.'

'Yeah right.'

'I'm serious, Matt.' She looked him in the eye.

'How new?'

Kari took a breath. 'Twice.'

'Twice?'

She nodded. Matt turned his head slightly and thought back to TK's words.

'_Oh, I think even you'd be surprised at the things innocent little Kari Kamiya did to make me happy.'_

He gritted his teeth. _Lying little fuck._

Kari looked at him, wondering what was going through his head and silently pleading with him to respond to her. Eventually she placed a finger under his chin and turned his face to look at her.

'Does that bother you?'

Matt brushed her cheek with his thumb. 'No, of course it doesn't. I love you, Kari. The only thing that matters right now is you, and whether you're ready for this or not.'

She smiled. 'I'm ready,' she said quietly. 'I'm just… a little inexperienced.'

A giggle escaped her lips as Matt turned her over so that she was lying on her back staring up at him. She placed her hands on his strong arms and found herself lost in his blue eyes. He leaned down and placed a gentle kiss on her soft lips and pulled away slowly.

'Then allow me.'

* * *

'Do you _have _to go home?'

Kari giggled and pushed Matt away from her, putting her seatbelt on.

'Yes, I do.'

Matt groaned and sat back in his seat. 'But-'

'-But nothing, mister,' said Kari with a smirk. She turned in her seat to look at him. 'I'll stay with you next time.'

A mischievous smirk curled Matt's lips. 'Next time?'

'Next time.' Kari leaned over and kissed him. 'That sound good?'

He smiled at her. 'Definitely.'

A few moments passed as they settled back into their seats.

'Oh!' Kari clicked her fingers and reached into her bag. 'I forgot to check who called.' She glanced at the screen for a moment and shrugged. 'It was Tai. Wait, there's a text.'

_Staying at urs tonight. U should answer ur fucking phone when someone calls! Get ur ass home!_

No kiss. That was odd. And why wouldn't he be staying in the house he'd just moved all of his belongings into?

'Everything ok?' asked Matt.

'Yeah, I think so. Tai's staying at mine tonight.'

'And Mimi?'

'I dunno. I wonder if they've had a fight?'

Matt snorted. 'Unlikely. They're the most sickening couple I've ever met,' he said.

'I guess.' She looked at him. 'I feel bad for going behind Tai's back.'

'Me too, but what can we do? He'll flip; this is best kept between me and you. For now, at least.'

Kari raised a slim eyebrow. 'And what do you think he'll do when he realises we've been lying to him for god knows how long? Surely it would be best for him to find out sooner rather than later.'

'That's easy for you to say, Kari. You're his sister. He'll be pissed with you for a while, but ultimately he'll still love you because you're his family.'

'So are you.'

Matt groaned loudly. 'I'm not though, am I?' He glanced at Kari, who stared at her hands in her lap. 'I'm sorry, Kar. I didn't mean to snap. I'm just worried about what he'll do.'

'You don't worry about anything.'

'You'd be surprised.' He sighed. 'Look, I can deal with whatever black eye he'll send my way, but I don't know what I'll do if he just cuts me out of his damn life. Not to sound gay, but I love that guy, I really do. He's my best friend.'

Kari took his hand. 'Which is why we shouldn't be lying to him.'

Matt brushed a lock of dark hair away from her face and brushed her cheek with his thumb.

'You want to tell him.'

He watched as she nodded slowly. A sigh escaped his lips as he listed the pros and cons in his head.

_Cons:_

_Potential black eye_

_End of the legendary Ishida/Kamiya bromance._

_Pros:_

_No more lies._

_It's the right damn thing to do._

All actions had consequences, and he had to face his. He knew what he had to do, and if he couldn't do it for Tai, he'd do it for Kari.

'Ok.'

Kari's eyes widened a little. 'Ok?'

He nodded. 'Ok.'

The drive back to the Kamiya's residence was practically silent. The pair both wondered what was going through each other's heads. Nerves made them feel sick, but a need for honesty pushed them forward.

The door was unlocked when they arrived, but as they entered they noticed that the lights were off and very little light entered the apartment.

'Mom? Dad?' Kari frowned in the dark. 'Tai?'

A shiver ran down Kari's spine.

Something was wrong.

She could feel it.

She stayed close to Matt as their eyes scanned the dim room and eventually settled on a figure sitting on the floor. Matt fumbled around for the light switch and flicked it on. A man sat with his back to them, his legs curled up by his chest and his head resting on his arms which were draped around his knees. His dark hair was even messier than usual, and his back jumped every couple of seconds with what looked like stifled sobs.

'Tai?' Kari edged towards him warily. 'Tai, what is it, what's wrong?'

The older sibling lifted his head but didn't turn to look at his sister or friend, and Kari felt uncertainty flood her mind when she realised that he was talking. Quietly. She couldn't understand. She sat on the floor beside him and put a hand on his shoulder. Matt approached and knelt in front of him, frowning at his red eyes.

'Dude, are you drunk?' His frown deepened as Tai simply shrugged. 'Christ, Tai, what happened?'

'Mimi wanted some time alone.' Tai raised his voice a little, though his words were still slurred and Matt and Kari still had to strain to hear him.

It was Kari's turn to frown. 'What? Why?'

There was a long pause as Tai swallowed and it appeared that he was attempting to gather some courage. Kari rubbed his back reassuringly and Matt placed a hand on his shoulder.

'What happened, Tai?' he asked seriously.

Tai glanced from Matt to Kari and his sister gasped when she saw his chin tremble and a tear fall from a bloodshot eye.

He took a deep, shaky breath and allowed his eyes to settle on her. His voice was quiet and raspy.

'We lost one of the twins.'


End file.
